Star's may Burn
by SodapopGirl17
Summary: "Don't ask me how I'm coping. I'm not. But then you came along out of nowhere, and you helped me. Helped me find my sun again." Set during the days that Ponyboy and Sandy left. Anyone of us would lose our mind's going through what Sodapop was going through, but what if there was somebody there for Soda in a way that no one else could be? Someone that Ponyboy left out in his theme?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note-**

**Hellooooooo! Oh God, I'm so nervouse! So this is a story I have been working on for the past two years titled ****_Stars may Burn_****, and today I decided to upload it! YAY! But oh my God, I cant stop my heart from beating! I'm so nervous! I'm not really sure how this is all going to play out, but if you lovely people decide you enjoy it, then I shall keep uploading! This story starts off slow, and may seem like a typical OC one, but I hope you may be pleasently suprised with the way the wheeles turn! This is the first story I've ever uploaded to FanFic, so I'm not really sure what to expect, but eh, you win some you loose some, aint that right Ponyboy? **  
**_Ponyboy:_**** "Thats right Felicity! Need a cancer stick to calm your nerves?"**  
**_Me: "_****I'm good thanks Pony!"  
Anyways, on with the story! Hope ya'll enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I am in no way, shape or form Susie Hinton. Nope, suprise hey? I'm just borrowing her lovely characters and general story line!**

_Stars may Burn  
Chapter One_

"Hey Darry?" I call dully to my older brother from the laundry. "Have ya seen my DX shirt?" I walk from room to room in just a pair of old faded jeans and a cap on my head looking for my work shirt.

"Yeah, in my wardrobe, I ironed it!" Darry yells back.

I stumble into Darry's room and pull out my shirt, just as I hear laughing and tumbling coming up the steps.  
Two-Bit and Steve are finally here. I hear a girl's soft laugh and remember that today is the day that Steve's cousin, Kate, was arriving.  
We'd only found out a few weeks ago that Steve's parents were going to Arkansas for Steve's Dad's job for while and only yesterday found out that Kate was moving in in the meantime. Quite frankly, I hadn't even bothered to actually think about it all. Not at a time like this.

I rub my eyes wearily and look over to Dallas Winston who was sitting on the couch cleaning a cut on his fist that he got from one of his many fights. "You know the rules. Any girl that is related or we know, we are nice to her," I say to him as if I was talking to a four year old.

"Yeah yeah, I know the rules," Dally says to me. "I promise I won't try anything or be a lousy sonofabitch or nuttin. Sides, it don't matter to me none- it's just that Melissa broad who wouldn't stop stalkin' me an' you last time anyhow. Stupid little. . . " Dally continues to say every swear word under the sun and stands up and walks into the bathroom for some more bandages.

No one had told him it was the cousin that none of us had met yet, he thought it was Steve's other one. I guess someone should fill him on of this.  
I drop my shirt on the kitchen bench and pull out one of my chocolate cakes trying to ignore the pain in my stomach. I knew it wasn't from hunger but I didn't want to go to work on an empty stomach.

Two days ago, my kid brother Ponyboy, one of my best buddy's Johnny and Dally had all gone to the movie house for the night.  
After the movie had ended, Johnny and Ponyboy had gone for a walk around the vacant lot and had fallen asleep. At about two am Ponyboy had come home, and Darry had been so pissed off at him for been late. They got into another one of their fights like usual, and eventually Darry hit Ponyboy. Darry had never hit either me or Ponyboy, and this was the first time. Pony had run off. The next day it was all in the papers that Johnny had stabbed a Soc (short for socialite, rich kids, the south side sons of bitches) for trying to drown Ponyboy in a fountain. That was the last we had heard of Ponyboy.  
Cops had been around, telling us what had happened and hurled each one of the gang down to the station for an interview, but none of us had a clue where they could be, and that was almost killing me.

I can hardly eat or sleep; I feel miserable twenty-four-seven and keep having these random highs and lows. I put on a brave front for Darry. He already feels shitty enough about what he did to Pony, he doesn't need to know exactly how much this was hurting me as well. Besides, pretending that this isn't as bad as it is seems to help me get through the days.

The door swings open with a bang and in tumbles Steve, Two-Bit and a girl. Steve looks around the living room coolly, but there's a look on his face that tells me his actually looking around for something that isn't there. One guess on what that could be.  
Steve spy's me then grins smugly before running over to me yelling, "Sodapop!" and picks me up, throwing me to the ground.

I grin up at him and grab hold of one of his legs and pull it forward, making him fall flat on his back on the floor with me. We lie together on the floor laughing and punching each other in the ribs. Steve can always make me grin, no matter what situation. I look up and see Darry standing over me.

"You boys are both nuts," he grumbles grabbing us both by upper arms and hauling us to our feet. "Hurry up and get ready Soda, you too Steve. I don't want ya'll both to be late and get fired." Steve and I roll our eyes at Darry's words, the same words we hear almost every day of our lives.

Now, I know most people wouldn't even be able to think about working right now, but when the fuzz had showed up on our door step, they told us not to try and look for Ponyboy or Johnny in case we spook them into hiding and running more. It was torture having to go to work every day, acting siff' everything's fine and normal in front of the customers, but behind closed doors I was barley holding things together.

I _wanted _to stay home by the phone and wait for Pony to return. I _wanted _to go looking for him under every rock and around every corner. I _wanted_ to stay home, and curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. But I can't. I know I can't. We need the money, and it won't look good if the social workers come by and find me locked in my room, huddled in a ball with twenty two thousand cats and an empty bottle of Jim sitting next to me. So I go to work. And so does Darry-he brings in more money each day then I do each week.

Since Ponyboy had run away, Steve had been spending a lot more time with me, helping me take my mind off him, and just cheering me up. "Sodapop, Darry, this is my cousin Kate. Kate, this is Soda and Darry," Steve says pointing to me and Darry.

"Hey," Kate smiles, looking every bit as comfortable as though she had lived here her whole life.

Darry walks over to her and holds out a hand. "It's good to meet you finally. Steve's been talking about you none stop since he found out you were coming," he says in a humble voice.

Since Pony had ran away, he had hardly muttered a happy word, let alone show a positive attitude. I guess that's what separates us; I can always find the positive and good in every situation_, or at least act happy_, whereas Darry seems to have a bit of trouble doing that.

Kate shakes his hand warmly and smiles a pretty smile. "I bet he has," she laughs.  
Darry gives her another nod, before looking back to us. "Soda, I'll be home at six thirty. If there's any news . . . I'll let ya'll know." I nod my head muetly. "Steve and Two-Bit, do not leave this house in the state you left it in yesterday. Understood?" He asks them seriously.  
Two-Bit nods his head, eyes glued to the TV. Steve just leans against my shoulder, smirking at Darry, who ignores him in return. "Good, I'll see ya'll later," and with that he walks out the door.

I study Kate's face. She is definitely the a good looking chick. She has long, almost jet black, shiny hair that flows around her shoulders and to the middle of her back, long and straight. Her eyes are the exact colour of bottomless pools and are set off by perfectly arched neat eyebrows. Her full kissable lips are the colour pink and rosey. Her skin looks like it would be softer then silk with a bronzed tan. She's curvy and tonned at the same time, definitely not some size six twig. She's tall, but not overly tall like the type that makes it awkward to be making out with, average height, coming up to only my mid neck. Her tight white, tank top shows of her full chest and flat stomach. I'm lost for words. I clear my throat and walk forward.

"Hey, I'm Soda," I smile my most charming smile, aware that I'm only in jeans without a top on.

Kate stares at me for a second before blinking quickly. She shakes my hand. Her hands are soft and warm. "Hey. It's nice to finally meet Steve's best buddy, you're all he ever talks about," she says with a small laugh that sound like golden wind chimes.

I get butterflies in my stomach at her touch. "Pfft, no surprises there," I grin good naturally, using my charm and looks to hook her in. I feel as comfortable talking to her as I would Steve or Darry.

Dally walks out of the bath room, un-aware of Kate. When he sees her, shock crosses his face. "Kate Newton? What the hell are you doin' er?" he asks before walking towards her.

I look over at Kate. "Dallas Winston? Long-time no see!" Kate comments, raising one eyebrow, before giving Dally a real quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

Two-Bit looks confused and raises one eyebrow. I look to Steve who shrugs looking just as confused as the rest of us. "You two know each other?" Steve asks.

"Yep." Kate smiles hastily.

Dally's got the same look on his face that he has most of the time. The one that makes him look like his bored and would rather be fighting someone then standing here.

"But how?" Two-Bit asks through a mouth full of cake.

"When I first meet Kate here, she was with her friend Caty in New York, last summer ya'll remember when I went back to visit my Grams?" Dally asks. Steve, Two-Bit and I nod. "Well I took them under my wing, kept them outta trouble," Dally explained.

This baffled me. What was Kate doing in the hard wild side of New York with Dallas Winston? I look at Kate again more carefully. At the mention of New York, her eyes grimace and pain flashes over them. Her eyes catch mine and we stand looking at each other for a moment while the others ask questions about how Dally had managed to meet a nice girl like Kate.

She looks into my eyes, and something crosses over her face and I could swear she knew all of my secrets. She smiles softly at me for a second before looking away. I shake my head and put on my white tee and work shirt, reluctantly donning my shoes.

After a while Kate and Dally sit on the couch talking to each other and catching up. Two-Bit, Steve and I are having a conference in the laundry.

"Wow. Do you think anything happened between them?" Two-Bit asked.

"Na, if it did Dally would be acting differently, and Kate said that he was like a brother to her," Steve said, pulling out his comb and looking in the mirror, fixing his black hair.

"What was she doing in New York?" I ask.

Steve's eyes clouded over and pain crossed over his face, he also looked a little uncomfortable. "Eleven months ago, Kate's parents had been visiting my other Aunt and Uncle in Kansas, ya know my other cousin, Melissa, that ya'll meet a few summers ago?" Me and Two-Bit nod our heads.  
I remember Melissa alright. I had been bout fifteen and she had been around thirteen or fourteen and hadn't stopped trying to hook up with me and Dal all summer. Steve continues to talk.

"Yeah her parents, and on their way back from their visit, their plane crashed, killing both of them."

I was speechless. I remember all of this happening; I just hadn't thought that much about it. Steve wasn't that into talking bout it with me, and he didn't seem too upset about it, I don't think he knew his uncle and aunt that well. _That poor girl _I thought to myself. My parents had died eight months ago, from an auto wreck.

"Glory," Two-Bit breathed.

"Well, after that Kate and Caty moved to New York. I guess that's how they meet Dally," Steve shrugged. "Oh and don't ask about her parents or anything. It kills her remembering I guess . . . Savvy?"

I remember the pain in her eyes and understand what he means. "Does she have any brothers or sisters?" I ask.

"She has an older brother Nathaniel- Nate . . . But they don't talk anymore," Steve trails off as we walk back out into the living room.

Steve was quite, thinking, and Two-Bit had the look of pity on his face for the poor girl. I look at Kate again and my heart beats faster. She's so beautiful!

Dally was gone, he probably left for work already. Steve walks over and shoves Kate playfully. She pushes him back and laughs again. Suddenly I remember Sandy, and feel guilty for been so attracted to girl I hardly know when I had just broken up with someone else. I sigh and feel the weight of a hundred problems, starting with Ponyboy land back on my shoulders.

**So what do you guys think? Good? Bad? Burn my USB stick and act like I never wrote it? Gah! Constructive criticisim is quite welcome, I need all the help I can get! Please review so I know how I can make it better!  
Also incase anyone is wondering, I've 'cast' Megan Fox from when she stared in 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.' I just think (personal opinion, I know some people don't like her,) but I just think that she was so beautiful in it. And also, I thought that Soda, been described as the most handsome man in Tulsa deserved a girlfriend just as beautiful! Just what I think anyways!**

**Thats all for tonight, ta ta lovelys! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

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**Hello to all you lovely people!**  
**I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, I'm still getting the hang of all this but hopefully in future I'll be able to do it alot quicker!**  
**Anyway's I hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer-I am not S. , I'm just using her lovely characters**

Kate's POV-

When Steve told me earlier that day not to be too dazzled by Sodapop, I had no idea just how serious he was! Soda is easily the most gorgeous guy; stuff that, human being I have ever seen in my life!

He has a perfectly set face that looks reckless and almost thoughtful at the same time. His got dark gold straight hair that's combed back to the base of his neck, with golden tanned skin. He looks celebrity handsome, the type that people would watch go by on the side of the street. With his defined cheekbones and piercing blue eyes that make me feel as if I could drown in them, it's no wonder people would stop by to look at him going down the street. He has lively, dancing, recklessly laughing eyes that make me think that there's still good in this shit hole of a world.

His tall and slim, not been burly like Two-Bit or big like Darry, and his a little shorter than Darry. But walking around without his shirt on, I can see the flat smooth hard defined abbs on his hairless torso. I can tell that he is the type of person that could get away with murder. The type that no one ever got mad at and makes people feel good and happy just by been around them.

It's strange, I feel as if I've known him my whole life. I'm not the type of girl who just falls for a pretty face or charm, but the second Soda smiled and spoke, I was hooked. But behind his eyes I can see pain, regret and worry. I remember everything that his gone through this past week. I feel terrible for him.

Steve interrupts my thoughts then. "Right guys, ready to get goin' to work?" He asks me and Soda. Two-Bit was going to look for Ponyboy and Johnny some more while we went to work at the gas station for the day.

"Sure are," Soda says, offering me a hand.

I take it and he pulls me of the couch. I feel an excited current run through my arm at his touch. I check out his muscly arms, making my heart beat faster at the strong, tanned shape of them. We walk out of the door and Soda opens my door for me. I smile at him and he tips an imaginary hat at me, a twinkle in his eyes that wasn't there before. Steve and him get in as well, Soda driving, Steve sitting next to me.

"So Kate, why come y'all decided to come to the grand ol' city of Tulsa all of a sudden?" Soda asks me pulling out of the drive and onto the main road, exceeding the speed limit. I think about this for a second before answering.

"Well, when the state found out I was a minor living on my own, they decided that I should live with some family, and Steve's bout the closest thing I got to family, other than our other aunt and uncle in Kansas-besides I hate big cities," I smile up at Steve and he grins and messes my hair.

"Yeah big cities ain't my thing either," he rolls his eyes at some girls who wolf whistle at him at a red light, batting their lashes and shouting out for Steve and Soda to call them sometime.

"Do you go to the country often?" I ask.  
"Not so much anymore, before my parents died me, my brothers and my dad used to go out hunting all of the time," he smiles at the memory and I can't help but smile too.

"I'm sorry about your parents," I tell him.

"Thanks."

"My parents died too," I say softly looking straight ahead.

I don't know why I'm telling him this, maybe just to let him know that his not alone. I'm not sure. Steve doesn't say anything, just keeps looking out the window, and I can tell his trying not to listen. His good like that.

"I'm sorry bout your parents too . . ." He looks out of the window as we go around the roundabout. "You're actually the first person I've meet that I can relate to," Soda admits.

I smile at this. "Yeah, I know what you mean," I'm quite then, thinking about what he said.

Soda turns the radio up, and the song _Gloria_ by Van Morrison is playing. I grin.

"Great song," I smile singing along.

Soda smiles widely at me. "You a Van Morrison fan to?"

"Hell yeah."

"Steve, you said your cousin was a greaser, but you ain't never said _our_ sort of greaser," Soda says leaning over me and slapping him playfully over the side of the head.

"So does this mean I'm accepted into your exclusive gang?" I ask teasingly.

"Baby, you already were, but now you've just been put into the V.I.P club," Soda tells me with a twinkle in his dancing eyes.

I laugh and Soda turns the volume up, singing loudly with me and Steve. We pull up into a driveway of an old gas station with a mechanic's garage attached to it. It's a quiet day been a Monday, and there's not many people coming in or needing anything, having worked in garages before I felt right at home.  
Steve's obsession with cars meant no one was allowed to help him fix one, even if he needed it, so I spent most of the time with Soda, serving people, cleaning up around the garage, chatting, joking and laughing with each other.

It amazed me how many teenage girls, mostly fifteen, sixteen or seventeen year's old and older, came around for things.  
I asked Soda about it, he said it was because they were desperate and dateless and winked at me. These girls gave me death stares; most of them eyed me like I was dirt. They were greaser girls, middle class girls and some Soc girls even.

One had the nerve to walk past me and mumble 'dirty hoe' under their breath before pouncing on Soda, claws and all. The annoyed look must have been evident on my face, because Soda had heard what she said, managed to un-cling himself from her grasps, came over and slung one arm across my shoulder with the other around my waist, and said loudly, "Glory Kate, I don't know about you, but I sure could go for a short, _dirty_, little break out back, couldn't you?"

I had laughed out loud at this and even louder at the shocked expression on the girls face. Needless to say she left pretty quickly after that. I'm not sure if the feeling is mutual, but the more I get to know Soda, the more begin to like him. It doesn't make sense, this feeling that has come out of no where, but the one thing I have learned over past year is that you must always trust your gut feelings. And mine are saying to me that Sodapop Curtis is a good thing.

Soda's POV-

The next day, there was still no word from Ponyboy or Johnny. The second I had finished work last night, Two-Bit and I had gone door knocking some hoods we know, asking if they had heard anything but no one seemed to have a clue where they could be.  
We had been that intent on finding them that I had forgotten about dinner, and rushed home at eight thirty, but there was no point really. Darry was sitting on the couch, head in hands, sobs racking through his body.

I didn't know what to do at first. It was the first time I had seen Darry cry. Ever. Not even when we found out Mom and Dad had died did he cry. He had remained calm and emotionless. Not even at their funeral. He held himself together. I, on the other hand, didn't stop crying for two months afterwards, and even now I choke up when I think about it too much.

I cautiously walk over to Darry quietly, as if not to scare him. A million thoughts flew through my mind. Is it about Ponyboy? Have they found him and Johnny dead on the side of the road? What happened that could bring this out of Darry?

"Darry? Darry, what's wrong?" I ask, sitting next to him. "Have they found Ponyboy?"

Darry shakes head, not looking at me. "No, they ain't found em' yet."  
"Are you alright?" I ask, a stupid question, I know.

"No. No ain't alright. It's my entire fault Soda! I should never yelled at him, or hit him, and now look! His gone," Darry sobbed tears streaking his handsome face.  
_  
Crap! _I think to myself. Darry can't break down. His the only one keeping me sane at the moment. If he breaks down, then who's meant to keep me together? _  
_  
"Oh shit Darry," i say my voice shacking as wrap my arm around his shoulders. Darry grabs hold of me tightly in a hug. "Don't do this now. His gonna come home. He will. His gotta," I all but wail.

"I can't . . . I can't lose him, Soda. I can't ever lose either of you. Not after Mom and Dad."

That was all Darry needed to say for me to understand. We're all we got left now. And without Ponyboy, neither of us would be able to cope.  
Darry and I had sat on the couch for another fifteen minutes, trying to regain ourselves. Darry was able to quicker then I was.

"Guess there's no point in askin' if you're hungry?" Darry asks his voice thick from crying.

I shake my head sadly at him. "Naw, I ain't hungry. I think I'm just gonna stay up for a lil while by the phone."

"You know you gotta sleep, Soda. If you don't you won't be doin' anybody any good," Darry cautions.

"It ain't like you can talk, I hear ya walking up and down the corridor at all hours of the night," I remind him.

"Yeah well, try and get some sleep."

"You too, Superman," I grin at him half-heartedly as he shuffles off in the direction of his bedroom.

I had stayed up for another four hours after that, searching my mind for any other people who could know where Ponyboy and Johnny might be.  
I called up some of his school friends and track buddies, I even called up some of my old friends from my Rodeo days and the stable I worked at, but still no one knew anything.

By the time I had caused a phone bill longer then Dallas's police record, I had cried my eyes dry and given up hope of finding him tonight. So at one thirty am I decide to take a hot shower and try to get some sleep, but with no avail. I had laid awake the whole night, before finally drifting off into what could be countered no longer then a nap at five am.

***

At work the next day, I was glade Kate was there. I wasn't alone with her around. Steve was busy out in the garage putting an engine back together. I was behind the cash register, spinning a quarter around and around again, waiting for two girls behind the magazine rack to decide what they wanted to buy.

They were cute girls around sixteen or seventeen. One was tall and skinny, and the other short and curvy with hair that came to their shoulders and wearing smart lookin' clothes. Socs for sure. I didn't really have a problem with Soc girls-until they had a problem with one of us greasers, but until they do I guess it's alight to flirt with them.

I look up from my spot behind the counter boardly, and stare out the front window to where Kate was standing with Chev out by the fuel pumps. Chevy works here as well. His a real good guy, a hood for sure, his known for been one of the toughest drag racers round'- hence the name Chev, and his good with people. He buddy's around with Tim Shepherds gang sometime, but mostly just sticks with his brothers and their friends.  
Chevys gangs a lot like ours, just a bunch of greasers who became best buddies. As I watch Kate, she laughs at something Chev says, who's laughing just as hard. Kate turns her head slightly, and her eyes catches mine for a split second and she smiles at me, before Chev says something else to cause her to start laughing again and taking her full attention.

I sigh again, spinning the quarter around, trying to ignore then churning feeling in my gut and sore eyes. I look around the shop again and watch the girls behind the magazine rack. They look at me and blush and giggle, before bringing the magazines up to the counter.

I roll my eyes, and try to stop myself from telling them that, no I don't want their numbers and that I'm in no mood for flirting with them today. Not when my baby brother and friend are missing.

"Will that be all for the day?" I question smoothly.

"Yes, for the day," the taller one purrs, while the other giggles.

"Oh, and can I have some gum?" the short one asks.

"Sure, what flavour?" I ask tiredly.

"Strawberry kisses," the short one answers, blinking her false lashes at me, and twisting her ponytail around her figure.

I lean across the counter, and pick up the gum. Normally, I woulda had some sort of flirtatious remark to go with it, but today I just can't seem to find the energy, nor give a damn. The girls coming in and flirting with me is a bonus to this job. It's actually kinda nice to have the company, and attention. I've never not have a date to go somewhere, not with girl's numbers coming at me very which way, and because of so many coming in the DX is never outta service.

Sandy had hated it. She always got way too jealous and didn't trust me. I had to stop her on more than one occasion from starting a scrag fight between her and another greaser girl. Pfft, talk about trust; she was the one who couldn't be trusted.

After those girls had finally left the store, I was left with nothing else to do. Steve was still busy with the engine, and all of the aisles were up to date with their stock. The bell above the door chimes, and Kate walks in, a big smile on her face.

"Whatta you so smiley bout'?" I ask, unable to stop myself from grinning as well, wipping a cloth over the counter.

"Nah, nothing. Chevy was just tellin' me bout the first time he worked here, and how a certain old Mrs White came in, flirting with him, then asked if he would like to go back to her place and ride the 'hobby horse'," Kate laughs a little at the end of her sentence, walking to stand next to me.

I can't help but laugh too. I remember that day well. It had been Chev's very first shift behind the cash register, and the old lady from down the street, Mrs White had come in. I always have good chats with Mrs White, she was a regular, and once said that the reason she liked coming here so much was because we made her feel young again. Whenever she came in, we always have playful banter and joking around.

Anyway, Chev was serving her, and old Mrs White looked at me and winked, before looking Chev dead in the eye, and said, _'You have such strong arms! After work, how would you like to come to my place and we can ride the hobby horse.'_  
Well poor Chevy didn't know what to say! He thought she was actually serious, and as soon as she left, had started to get ready to quit! It had taken me and Steve at least an hour to convince him that she was just joking around with him, but since that day Chev refuses to serve her.

"Yeah, Mrs White's a one tough cookie, even Ponyboy tries to avoid her," I say, my smile faltering at his name. My gut twists, and my throat goes tight at the thought of Pony.  
Coming to work today had been a bad idea. Twice I had to take a break to try and keep my emotions in check, and every time someone came in asking if he had been found, hot annoying tears would burn in my eyes before I could choke out '_no'_ between my teeth.

Kate looks at me sympathetically, and I hate it. She's the one person I wish wouldn't pity me, she has no reason to, but at the same time her attention was comforting. Kate puts a soothing hand on my upper arm and gives it a small squeeze.

"He'll come back, Soda. Him and Johnny are fine, their probably just a little scared at the moment, but from what you and Steve have told me about them, their smart enough to take care of themselves," Kate murmurs, rubbing small circles on my shoulder.

I nod, looking down at my hands. I still can't believe that this is really happening. That their gone. It's like I'm in a dream watching this disaster unfold, and reality never existed.

Kate sighs and gives me a sad smile, before the bells above the doors chime, and three greaser girls walk in. I know all of them; they had been Sandy's friends. Loud, obnoxious girls, who looked just as trashy as they talked. It's not like I have an issue with them either, they can be real fun to hang out with and talk to, they're the kind of girls that us greasers are friends with.

I see the girl who is clearly the one in charge of the other two, but can't remember her name, whisper behind her hand to them, before smirking and sauntering towards the checkout counter where me and Kate are.  
_  
Oh goody,_ I think to myself. More girls wanting to talk. I seriously don't have the energy to talk to them. I sigh miserably, and slowly stand up straight as they walk toward us. Kate must've notice my lethargic movements, and zero enthusiasm to serve these girls.

"Go outside and take a break, I'll serve them," Kate more or less orders me.

"You sure? At this rate I'm not gonna get my pay check," I say in a weak attempt to bring some humour to light.

Kate smiles and laughs. "If that's the case, then I'll buy you dinner for stealing your shifts," she tells me, pushing her hair over her shoulders and pushing me towards the door.

Walking towards the door, I look up to see what the time was. Eleven thirty in the morning. Shit, I've still got six hours of the day to go. I groan, and drag myself out of the door, ignoring the disappointed looks on the greaser girls faces as I go.

I lean against one of the gas pumps, praying that no one would pull in for gas. I pull out a cigarette from the pack, inhaling deeply; grateful for the calm it washed over me. I close my eyes, letting the sun beat down on my face, pushing my greased hair out of my eyes. I flick my ashes to the ground, before hearing Steve's voice calling towards me. I pay no mind to him, before I feel my arm been yanked back, and my smoke taken out of my fingers.

"Hey! Steve whaddya doin man?" I question irritably.

"What am I doin? Saving your ass from been fired!" he growls.

"How? I mean just because I've told a few girls I don't wanna go out with them on Friday doesn't mean I'm gonna get fired," I tell him, looking at his face transform from angry to weary.

"You're not gonna get sacked for turning down girls, you're gonna get sacked for setting this place on fire," he tells me sounding tired. When I look at him blankly, he keeps talking. "You were bout to drop your butt in a diesel patch."

"Oh, shit. Sorry Steve, I wasn't even thinking, I just kinda zoned out . . ." I tell him trailing off, rubbing my hands over my face feeling exhausted.

"It's okay, Soda, relax. Nothing bad happened," he tells me patting me on the back. "Sept, you need to go home." When he sees that I'm about to protest, he cuts me off. "You can't keep working like this. You're dead on your feet, and your heads just not in the right frame of mind to be working, just take the rest of the day off and go home and have a rest for a while," he tells me, sounding concerned.

I sigh, and slouch back against the fuel tank. "I can't, Steve. Darry needs the money."

"To hell with money Soda!" Steve fumes. "Go home and take the day off, I'll give you my check!"  
"I can't let ya do that man," I reply trying not to yawn.

"Yeah you can, and you will. Otherwise you're gonna fuck up somehow, and get your ass fired. Besides, you did it for me when my Ma was sick, so go inside and get your things and head home."

There's no point in fighting with him. Anyway I know his right. I don't even know what I was thinking coming to work like this, it was stupid of me. Plus I want to get home to see if there was anything new about Ponyboy. I give him a brief smile, before dropping my arm around his shoulder in a hug.

"Thanks Steve, you're a life saver."

"Don't I know it, now get goin," he pushes me towards the shop.

I quickly walk inside, to find Kate talking with those greaser girls. "Hey, I'm heading off," I tell her, walking behind the counter picking up my wallet.

"Good, watching you torment yourself really isn't my forte," Kate says dryly, waving goodbye to the girls who were walking out the door.

I laugh, grabbing some milk from the fridge and a pack of Marlboros, putting them down on the counter, sliding a few quarters into Kate's finger, feeling heat rush through my hand at her touch.

"I wouldn't quite call it tormenting," I sigh, propping my elbows onto the counter and looking at her.

"Hmm, your right," Kate muses. "Agonizing is a better word."

I laugh a little, feeling so at ease talking to her, studying her beautiful face for a few seconds. "Hey can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, shoot," Kate says, arching her eyebrows.

"Your brother," I ask.

"What about Nate?" Kate questions, her blue eyes widened with surprise, leaning on the counter as well.

"Well, did he ever pull a stunt like Pony?" I ask, chewing on my bottom lip. All I want is a bit of peace of mind, or someone that at least understands what I'm going through, and that everything turned out alright.

"Well, not exactly like Ponyboy and Johnny's situation, but yeah. He did run away once-but only for one night."

"What happened?" I ask the follow up question.

"Well, he was around, fifteen I guess, I was only eleven at the time, and he and Mom and Dad got into a massive fight. See, Nate had this dog, Dodge, and he was Nate's best friend. But one day, Nate woke up, to find Dad about to sell Dodge to a guy who lived about an hour from where we did . . . My Dad, he never really cared about what us kids I guess. I mean, he loved us to the moon and back, but he was careless, and didn't worry about what we felt or understand why, and he thought of Dodge as a nuisance. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Dad, but that's just the way he was." I'm quite, as I listen, waiting for her to go on. "Anyway, when Nate saw what Dad was about to do, he screamed at him to stop, and that they were never going to take Dodge away. Dad told him that there was no way in hell that Dodge could stay, and that the man would be back the next day for him. So Nate grabbed the dog a couple hours later, took a backpack, and ran away with him." Kate looks into my eyes, before continuing. "He was only gone for one night and was hiding in an empty house a few towns over with his friend and Dodge, but that night was so horrible! I was only a kid, and I thought I was never going to see my big brother again."

"And he came back?" I ask before I even realized what I was doing.

"He came back. He was fine, a little scared of how much trouble he was gonna be in, but nothing wrong with him, hell he even got to keep Dodge," Kate smiles.

I sigh, and look up again into Kate's eyes, for the first time realizing just how close we were to each other's faces, both with our elbows propped onto the counter leaning towards each other.

Kate must have noticed this too. She stood up straight, touching my hand. "Now you had better get going before Steve hollers at me for holding you up," Kate smiles a little reluctantly, taking her hand away and moving to place the quarters I gave her into the cash register.

"Probably a good idea, thanks for the chat Kate."

"No problem, I'll see you later?" Kate asks, almost sounding worried that she wouldn't.

The thought of not seeing her soon didn't make me feel so happy either. "Definitely," I reassure her, and for the first time that day I give a genuine Sodapop smile.

**Soooo...Whattya's think? Long chapter I know! If you think this one was a little too long let me know so I can work on shortening it to a more suitable length.  
As for Sodapop's and Kate's chemistry, let me know what you think. Is it going to fast? Does she seem a little Mary Sue-ish? Or is the relationship that is building seem un-likely? I've tried to use my own experience I have with my boyfriend as a guideline to what they are feeling and how they are moving with it. Literally, within the first three days of knowing him I knew that it was going to be love and BAM! Two years later and still together. So that's kind of what I want Kate and Soda to have. That whole love at first sight type thing, but not without a few drama's here and there!  
Constructive criticism is welcome, I would love to hear all of your thoughts and idea's so I know how I can improve and mould it to your liking! So pretty please review, It'll make my day!  
Until nex time-Fee xox**

here...


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello lovely people! How have we been this week? This week has been crazzzayyy for me! But I thought to myself, hmmmm myabe updating will make it better! So here we are! As for this chapter, I decided to show how Soda's not coping at all, I'm not sure how I went, I myself have never have never been through this type of thing at all! So please let me know how you think it went. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer-I am not S. , only in my heart are this beautiful characters mine!**

The drive home I barely remember. What I do remember though, was the head ache I had come down with. It felt as if someone was playing baseball on the inside of my skull, hitting the ball as hard as they could just to make the pain worse for me. I drag myself into the living room, and throw myself onto the couch, lighting a cigarette as I go.

Darry's at work, I doubt that he'll be home before six tonight. His tougher than me, he can hold himself together at least for a little while, unlike me who can't even do it for three hours. I'm a pathetic greaser some days.

I look around the room, and memories of Ponyboy are everywhere I look. My eyes linger on the old piano that my Mom and Ponyboy used to play around on when he was young. I grit my teeth.  
It's so fucking unfair! Anger boils inside me. I just want him back! God, why can't you just do this one little thing for me? Just send Ponyboy back. And Johnny, they don't deserve this mess, we don't deserve this mess.

I tear at my hair furiously, trying to stop myself from breaking something, but it's too late. I stand up and storm towards my bedroom. My eye catches a gimp's of a picture taken of me, Pony and Darry. I'm sitting on Darry's shoulders and Pony's on mine, like a circus trick. That's when everything gets too much. Rage flows through me, and I spin around and blindly punch a hole in the wall next to the picture, a sort of strangle cry of rage forms from my mouth as I do.

Stunned at what I've just done, I stare at it for a second, before a low moan escapes my throat. Tearless sobs choke out of my mouth and I slump down in the corridor to the floor, just looking at the hole in the wall. I bang my head back against the wall stupidly, remembering my head ache. I ignore the pain in my hand and head and sit there.

Oh God Ponyboy, why can't you just come home? I have no idea what's happening to me. One second, I'm just feeling sad and tired, the next I feel nothing, then I'll just jump straight into a fit of rage. Its complete bullshit!

I kick the floor with my feet and bang my elbows back against the wall angrily. I know deep down inside half the reason I'm acting like this is from not sleeping and stress, but right now I could not give a fuck. Been angry feels better then been sad and hopeless.  
I hear the front door open and then closed, and I look down the corridor into the living room and see Two-Bit standing there. I squeeze my eyes shut, before looking at him again. Two-Bit spies me, before walking towards me.

"Steve said you'd be here," Two-Bit quietly speaks. I don't say anything, just grit my teeth. "You okay, man?"

"Do I look fucking okay to you?" I demand, pissed off.

"No, I just thought-" I cut Two-Bit off mid-sentence.

"You just thought what? That you would come over here and try to tell me how you're going nuts looking for Pony and Johnny?" I start, not caring what I said. "How you and everyone else are here for me? How you 'understand' what I'm feeling? Well you don't Two-Bit!" I shout, rising to my feet, striding into the living room.

"Look Soda I didn't mean to-" I cut Two-Bit off again.

"Why are you even here anyway? Shouldn't you be out having fun at a bar with two blondes on your lap, while Ponyboy and Johnny are missing?" I all but shout in his face, seeing the hurt and shock cross it. I don't care. It feels good to be taking this anger out on someone. "Just leave Two-Bit! I don't need you here anyway!"

"I ain't goin' anywhere, Soda!" Two-Bit yells back at me furiously. "Now you just shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say! You may not have noticed, but me and Steve have been out every night, looking for those boys! Sure, Ponyboy may be your brother, but his also our friend, one of our closest! Same goes for Johnnycakes!" I'm silent as I listen to him, guilt running through my body as I fully register what I had said to him. "None of this has been easy on any of us, just look at the bags under mine and Steve's eyes, and you'll see just how worn out we are. Ponyboy is like a brother to me, Soda, and same with Johnny, but yelling and blaming me ain't gonna be helpin' none!" Two-Bit finishes, watching me carefully.

I almost slap myself in the face for been such a bastard to Two-Bit. His one of my best buddies and his always been here for me no matter what. "Oh shit Two-Bit, I'm sorry," I miserably say. "I didn't mean nothin' of what I said, it's just been a rough day, a rough week."

"Hell, don't I know it," Two-Bit sighs.

I sit down on one of the couches, and shut my eyes for a second. "Whatta we gonna do, Two-Bit?" I ask him sullenly.

"I dunno know, Soda. Just gonna have to keep tryin' to keep our chins up and heads down," he tells me, his usual comical grin gone and in its place a grim frown.  
He sat down next to me on the couch, both us waiting, and hoping for Ponyboy and Johnnycake to walk through the door. They didn't.

It was the next afternoon at the gas station when Steve and I were on our break and talking outside the garage. I had decided to come back to work. I'd gotten a good five hours of sleep last night, and a two hour nap during the afternoon after Two-Bit had decided to go and ask at the Dingo if anyone had heard from the boys. I had decided a different approach today. Instead of spending every second sooking and mopping around, I was going to think about different things. And the thing that had me most occupied for the day, is Kate.

"I gotta confess something, man," I tell Steve, taking a deep drag of my Marlboro.

"Confess what?" He asks me confused. He grabs an old rag and starts to rub the oil and dust of his hands and arms, puffing on his smoke at the same time.

"About Kate . . . I have never met anyone like her in my life. She's the most insanely beautiful, smart, funny girl that I have ever met!" I tell him.

It's the truth. I have only known her for two days and I have never felt like this for anyone. Not even Sandy and I thought I had loved Sandy, but since meeting Kate, it's like I have only just began to understand how much love one person is capable of. What I feel for Kate is stronger than what I felt for Sandy. Kate was different. She cared, and she understood me. Like no one else ever had.

"But you just broke up with Sandy," Steve reminded me.

"Yeah I know . . . But I don't know how to explain it."

Steve raises his eyebrows and I sigh. I look back into the garage and see Kate. She's flipping through some sort of sci-fi magazine with a confused, interested look on her face.

"Well, I ain't stoppin ya," Steve blows the smoke out of his nose, and study's my face carefully. His eyebrows knot together and he looks worried. I sigh and know what's going to come next. "Man, I'm worried about you. You have had so much to deal with it. First with your parents, then with Johnny stabbing that Soc for trying to kill Ponyboy, then they ran away together, and now Sandy cheating on you, getting pregnant to him and moving to Florida," Steve mutters.

I sigh, what he says brings out all the pain I had repressed for the time being. The day I found out that Sandy had left me and moved to Florida pregnant to some other guy, I had told her that I would still do the right thing by her and marry her if I had to and raise the baby as my own, even though it's not. She had rejected me, and that hurts more and more every day. Steve is the only person who knows about Sandy been pregnant and leaving me, and I hadn't even been the one who told him. His girlfriend, Evie who happens to be Sandy's best friend had told him this. So Steve is the only one who knows, not even Darry or Ponyboy.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again, after what that little bitch did to you," Steve continues.

"When I'm around her . . . Shoot, all of the pain seems to just disappear, and I'm feeling happy . . . for the first time since Ponyboy . . ." I tell him.

Steve just shakes his head and adjusts his vest. He hates wearing shirts and ops for a plain denim vest, or one of the DX shirts with the short sleeves ripped off them, which he leaves open showing of his impressive abs. After a minute he smiles and slaps me on the back.

"Well I'm glad you're feeling better. Now let's go inside for a beer and a game of poker. Or Pepsi, I never know with you," he mutters.

I follow him in. His right about me drinking. Occasionally I'll go out with Steve and Two-Bit and get rip roaring drunk, have a good time and do some crazy, crazy shit. But Darry and I made a pact to not let Ponyboy ever find out. He idolises me so much, so him thinking I never drink is hopefully a good way to try and keep him away from the stuff until his a bit older.

"Guess it's gonna be you who's making breakfast each morning for the rest of the week," Steve laughs, beating Kate again after seven games.

Kate's probably the worst poker player I have ever seen. She laughs and throws the cards at him.

"Hey! We can't all be great at _everything_!" Kate laughed, looking at me.  
I nod my head at our inside joke. Steve can be a little arrogant sometimes. It's not a bad thing, or even annoying. It's mostly amusing to watch him when his actin' real righteous._  
_  
"Just the way that you can't play pool, or poker, or know how to punch or fight, and drive?" Steve smirks, raising his eyebrows.

"And don't forget a cheap drunk!" Kate pipes up.

I look at Kate inquisitively. "You don't know how to punch someone?" I ask.

Kate shakes her head. "Nope, if I ever got into a brawl with someone I'd probably curl up in a ball and cry! Besides girls shouldn't fight!" she tells me, a smile on her lips.

I laugh. "Or drive?"

"See the thing is, once I turn the engine on and try to change gears, I almost faint at the idea of crashing . . ." she admits, faking an ashamed look on her face.

"So you're a mechanic, but you don't know how to drive a car?" I ask, trying not to laugh with the snickering Steve.

"Well I know how to, I just . . . can't," Kate explains.

"Oh, okay," I say, stifling a laugh, but still somehow snorting.

"Oh, just go ahead and laugh! I guess it is ironic . . ."

I burst out laughing, the first time in days. Steve laughs along with me for a good two minutes before I manage to pull myself together.

"Ahem. I'm gonna teach you to drive someday, and punch," I tell her earnestly.

"Alright then," she agrees happily.

I don't know what it is, but Kate acts different. It was obvious to anyone that she's a greaser. She smokes and swears and drinks, she's got a blunt nature and sharp tongue, though been witty and talkative. She's got imperfections. Like how clumsy she is and insensitive sometimes-a little selfish even. She's reckless and easily restless and can't seem to decide on anything, fickle even. Her intolerence to alot of things and bitter temper make's it hard to know what she's going to say about different topics. Though been extremely charming and loads of self-confidence and a never ending energy, talking about the one thing seem to bore her easily.  
A typical Gemini, Kate had called herself. But then again she's a free soul. I can see her deciding she wanted to move to Africa one day, and moving to South America the next, she needs variety and adventure. It's just the type of person she is.  
But then again, she can't fight or drive, or hustle pool or poker, or even hold her liquor very well like other grease girls, and talks like she has an education, she knows the right vocabulary. I wish I could say the same for me.

"Welup!" Two-Bit's standing in the door way.

It's a real funny sight. His head is still inches from the top of it but his broad shoulders take up most of the space in-between the frame of the door. He strode over to the small refrigerator and takes out a beer, and sits down in an empty chair next to Steve, throwing his legs up onto the table and swinging back like he was in a recliner.

"Any news about Ponyboy or Johnny?" I ask. It's a stupid question, more than likely the answer will be no, but Two-Bit surprises me.

"Yeah actually. A couple of guys were over at Buck Merril's place the night that Johnny stabbed that Soc. They said that they thought they saw them around two am-three am asking for Dally." Two-Bit takes out a smoke and has a long drag on it.

I suppose this shouldn't surprise me, after all if I was in Johnny and Ponyboy's situation right now, Dally would be the first person I would go to for help. Dallas Winston could do anything.

"Do they know where they were headed?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest at the prospect of having some new information on the where abouts of them.

Two-Bit shook his head. "No, they just said that a couple of kids were around there at that time, one in a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off at the top of the shoulders and the other in a jeans jacket, asking for Dally. That's all, the guys I was talkin' to were pretty messed up that night by the sounds of it," Two-Bit tells me.

I nod my head and look at my hands, my heart squeezing in my chest. Four days feels like four years. Sighing I look back up.

"Righto, thanks man . . . I guess tomorrow afternoon sometime I'll go and visit Dally if his still there," I tell them.

I rub my eyes tiredly, I ain't slept at all since Pony and Johnny had ran away. The bed me and Pony slept in together just wasn't the same without him there snoring and taking up too much room. Me and Ponyboy shared a bed cause' he started having nightmares about our parents dying over and over again, they had stopped after I started sleeping with him. I didn't mind giving up my own room and bed for him, I'm just a great brother.

I think about Pony some more and sigh. Yeah I know. Ponyboy and Sodapop ain't common names, but me and Pony love em.

The past four days have been hard. On all of us greasers. None of us are taking it well. Two-Bit has gone a little crazy and obsessed with finding the boys, Darry can hardly walk through the front door without breaking down when seeing that Pony ain't back, Dally has locked himself away somewhere, depressed about not been able to find Johnny I guess, and Steve is more bitter than usual.

I have hardly eaten, I haven't slept and I have this pain in my stomach that won't go away. Darry said it's from stress. The only time I feel good is when I'm around Kate. I guess one of the reasons is because she doesn't treat me differently. We had been through the same type of thing, and she didn't judge me. She treats me the same as everyone else, I'm not sure if it's because she doesn't know what I'm usually like, or if it's because she understands, in all she had been a real help these past few days. And because of that we had grown real close.

Steve stands up and starts packing up the cards table. We had already shut up shop; the only thing left to do now was go home. Two-Bit stands up as well.

"Well, just came to tell you what you wanted to hear. I'm off. There was some Socs following me around earlier, gonna go see if I can have a heart to heart with em'," Two-Bit tells us with a wink

I roll my eyes at him, and I can hear Kate and Steve laughing. "Okay, thanks again man," I tell him as he walks out the door, pushing Steve into the gutter and messing up Kate's hair.

Sighing in frustration, I throw my dirty old rag down on the poker table, pick up my wallet and walk out to the Ford. Kate is already in the middle seat and I get into the driver's seat next to her. Steve was locking up the doors so we waited for him to come out. Kate looked distracted and edgy, an un-usual look for her.

Then I remember what she said had been worrying her earlier that day. The Rumble. Whenever the tension gets too heavy between the Greasers and Socs, we have a Rumble. We all meet up together in the vacant lot and we Greasers verse the Socs. Since Johnny and Pony had killed that Soc, Bob his name was, there have been so many fight's, most of the time six Socs jumping one greasers the weak bastards, between the South and North side.

Of course we're North side, the Socs were always the South. And once we were all at the lot, we fought. There's no weapons, just skin against skin. The Rumble was to be held on Friday night, our outfit and Tim Shepherds gang verse Socs. There were only a few rules. There was to be no beef at all before the rumble between the two gangs. The second rule was no weapons. And the third was that the first ones to run were the losers. Kate had told me earlier that she was scared that somethin' awful might happen to one of us.

Looking back over to Kate, I put my hand on her own small hand to stop her from drumming her fingers against the dash board.

"Quit worrying, it's just skin against skin, ain't nothing bad gonna happen," I smile reassuringly at her and she seems to calm down a little. Then that worried look comes back on her face. I sigh, squeeze her hand once and let it go.

Steve lopes back over to the car then and jumps in next to Kate. Starting up the car, I reeve the engine and Steve smiles proudly at his fine work.

I always liked to drive fast, and today it seemed to help calm me down, but then I remembered Dally was the last person to have seen Ponyboy and Johnny and that feeling vanished.

**Sooooo, what did you's all think? Please let me know! Reviews make me a happy happy vegimite! How do you think the whole relationship between Kate and Soda is going? Again let me know! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, if not, let me know how I can improve this. Have a wonderfull week my lovelys!**

**-Fee xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello there my lovelies! I updated, yayyy! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, so read on! **

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders or the characters, only Kate!**

* * *

Later that evening, just as the sun was setting, Darry, Steve, Kate, Dally, Two-Bit and I were all waiting at the vacant lot. I'm not really sure why, but Two-Bit had said he had someone that we would want to meet and who could help us out.

"Hey Two-Bit! What the hell are we doing here? I have the bills to pay and a pulled muscle that needs fixing," Darry yells at him. I sigh, Darry was always like this. He never had fun anymore and always had work to do.

"Fine, I guess I might as well tell you. I've got us a spy," Two-Bit tells us, rubbing the side of his cheek.

A few hours ago he had been jumped by those Socs he had been lookin' for. He wasn't hurt too bad, but six onto one kind of knocks you around. Darry and Dallas had found them fighting and jumped in to help ol' Two-Bit and managed to handle them real quick.

"A spy, yeah right, and who might that be?" Dally asks puffin on his cigarette.

"Well, you know her," Two-Bit tells him, raising one eyebrow. "That pretty little red head Soc from the movie house the night the boys went missing."

It went deadly quite then. A Soc?! What the fuck was Two-Bit thinking? Then suddenly everyone started yelling at Two-Bit. Kate sand I were the only one's who were quite.

"Two-Bit, that is without doubt, the fuckin' dumbest thing you have ever done," Steve tells him angrily.

"Yeah, what the hell would a Soc want with helping us?" Darry inquires him sarcastically.

"Two-Bit, I swear to God if I get hauled back into the station because of you, I'ma blow you're fucking brains out!" Dally threatens him

"Look! If ya'll would shut up for a second and let me explain then maybe would ya'll actually understand!" Two-Bit yells back at them.

Everyone went quite, glaring at him. "This Socs name is Cherry. She's the one that pretty much started all of this. If her and her cute little friend hadn't made friends with Ponyboy and Johnny then this probably wouldn't have happened. She's the dead kids girlfriend. The night that Johnny stabbed the Soc, they had met the girls at the movie house with Dally. Then after a while Dally left and I came along, and we all hung out. Then those Socs had come along and found us walking the girls home and had gotten angry at us and took Cherry and her friend. I guess latter that night Bob and his friends had come back and attacked the boys," Two-Bit tells us. "I'm not exactly sure what she wants to tell us, but she does want to speak to all of us about what's happening down on the South side." Everyone is still quite, but not quite angry looking.

"You said she was friends with Pony and Johnny?" I ask him.

Two-Bit nods his head. "Yeah, she and Pony became real good friends actually. He was telling me how she's probably the only other person he could talk to about sunsets other then you or Johnny," Two-Bit says and I feel my stomach churn. I miss Ponyboy.

"Do you think she might know where Ponyboy and Johnny are?" I say, looking at Dally from the corner of my eye.

I hadn't had the chance to speak to him about what Two-Bit had told me this arvo; I was saving that for tomorrow after I had a chance to think some more about it. Dally gave away nothing, just continued to puff on his smoke.

Two-Bit sighed. "I doubt it kid. I think she just came to tell us about what the South Side are up to."

I nod my head mutely. Darry sighs as well and ruffles my hair. "Try not to worry Soda, we'll find em' soon," he sooths.

I don't even believe him. I know Darry better than anyone else on the planet, and I'm pretty much the only one who he never gets annoyed at, so I know when his upset or not dealing with something.

Just then, a little red Sting Ray drove around the corner and parked on the side of the road. Two-bit stood up and walked towards it.

"Should we jump her?" Steve asked.

I shook my head, I wasn't for jumping girls, not even Soc girls, but Steve was up for jumping anybody.

"No, let's just hear her out," I sigh.

A pretty girl steps out of the car then, looking a little un- comfortable. She has red hair that waves to her shoulders and is wearing something that only a Soc girl would wear. Yep, definitely a big time Soc alright. I think I've seen her before, at the garage, and when I went to school.

I see Dally smile a dangerous smile at her. Cherry ignores him, and Two-Bit starts to tell her something. I hear Steve mutter insults at her, and I know that he thinks she's the reason why Ponyboy and Johnny are in this mess.

"Stupid bitch. Should be your neck on the line, not Pony or Johnny," he growls at her.

"Steve, shut up. She's only trying to help," I hear Kate tell him.

I had forgotten she was there and she looks sad for Cherry. She stands up and starts to walk towards Two-Bit and Cherry. She meets them half way across the lot.

"Hey, I'm Kate," I hear her tell Cherry.

"I'm Sherri, but everyone calls me Cherry," I hear Cherry say back to her nervously.

Kate smiles gently at her, and my heart does flops. Sure, Cherry was pretty, but Kate made her look plain and ordinary. Maybe it's just me, but one time I heard that when you found the person your meant to be with, you see them differently to everyone else. As corny as it sounds, I can't help but wonder if it's true for me and Kate.

"Don't worry about them, they sure do look mean and tough but they won't hurt you," Kate tells her.

They start walking towards us. "Pfft, what do you mean _look_ mean and tough? We're as soft looking and cuddly as a teddy bear," Two-Bit jokes.

Cherry looks a little more comfortable and I'm glad Kate is there to help make her feel better. I remember then what this girl has been through the past few days, and Soc or not, she's still a human. Dally starts to get up, but I grab him by the arm and pull him back down.

"Boys, this is Cherry Valance, Cherry this is the gang," Two-Bit nods introducing her.

He sits back on the hood of his car next to Darry and Dally. Steve's hands are shaking and I know his having a hard time controlling himself. I reach into my pocket and pull out a pack of smoke's and hand one to him. He takes it, shooting me a grateful glance. After a few moments his calmed down a little.

"My names Darry, this is Steve and my brother, Sodapop, I'm sure you already know Dally." When my name is said, she looks at me knowingly. "Cherry, what do you have to tell us?" Darry asks her, no sort of emotion in his voice at all.

She still looks un-comfortable but answers. "Well, first of all, I'm really sorry, and I feel like this whole mess is my fault." I hear Steve and Dally muttering under their breath in agreement. "But, In the court room, I'm going to testify that Bob was drunk and was looking for a fight, and that he was the one who started it, and that Johnny and Ponyboy only fought back in self-defence," she says quickly.

I look up at her in surprise. A Soc, trying to help us? Well this is a first. Dally gives a grim laugh.

"Now why should we believe you, princess? You're not even loyal to your own kind."

Cherry raises her chin at Dally, but I see something flicker across them. Regret and lust. "Because I'm not like most Socs. I hate violence, and I hate this whole 'Soc verse grease' thing. . . Besides Ponyboy and Johnny are my friends, and even though they killed Bob, they had no other choice," she says to him in a tight voice.

I believe her. I look across to Darry, who nods at me. Everyone is quite again thinking.

"What do you know about the rumble?" Steve demands.

"Not much, they have got about twenty or so in on it now, and I'm pretty sure their only going to use their fists and no weapons," she mutters worriedly.

Steve, Darry, Dally and Two-Bit all seem to be on edge, I on the other hand feel numb, and have a head ache.

I don't move, only watch Cherry. I can see why her and Pony would get only so well. They both have that dreamers look about them and don't really care about who's a Soc and who's a Greaser; they both seem to have the same moral. If you're nice to me, I'm nice to you, no matter who or what you are.

Darry stands up then. "Cherry, thanks for the help. We're just gonna go and have a little chat for a minute."

She nods. Steve, Two-Bit and Dally stand up as well and they walk away from us. Kate stays next to Cherry. I stay as well.

"Thanks Cherry, what you're doing really is brave," Kate says to her.  
"That's okay; I know Ponyboy would have done the same for me," Cherry mumbles.

I look down at my hands a sigh miserably. It's like there's this nagging voice at the back of my mind, saying over and over again: _"Ponyboy's gone. His not coming back. Ponyboy's gone and he is never coming back, don't forget that."_ It's always there, and there's a constant feeling in my stomach, like I'm going to throw up at any minute.

Kate slips her hand into mine and wraps her fingers through my own. I feel a little better and smile at her. I hear Steve raise his voice, swearing continually, and Two-Bit speaking in a low voice. I wonder briefly what their arguing about.

I look back to Cherry and Kate. Their standing next to each other. Cherry is a little shorter then Kate, and is a little bigger-not fat, just a little more meat on her bones. Most Socs are though. They come from good homes and get like six meals a day or somethin'. Her skirt is a hoop skirt and her blouse is neatly ironed with flower prints on them and her shoes don't have smudge of dirt on them. Her hair is neatly trimmed to just below her shoulders and doesn't look like it would move if a wave hit it, and her face is covered with makeup with red lips, her pale skin and green eyes standing out against them. I have defiantly seen her around before. In rodeos and she and her friends often pull into the DX. Don't get me wrong, she's real looker. I wouldn't hesitate to call her for a date if she gave me her number.

I look over to Kate. Kate is taller, but still only comes up to my nose. Like I said earlier, she has curves in the places every guy wants them. It doesn't really matter to me, those type of things bout a girl, but hey-I'm a teenage boy. What can I say? Unlike when Kate's at the DX with us, she's not wearing her jeans, flannelette top and biker boots. Instead, she's wearing a skirt as well, but more of a greaser type one. It's tight a figure hugging, in navy colour that sat on her middle stomach, and came above to her knees, with a plain candy apple red shirt on, and a pair of lace up shoes and socks.  
When I had noticed it earlier and asked about it, Kate had just smiled and told me that that her jeans and boots were just for work, and she'd rather look like a girl then a man.  
Her long dark hair flowing down her back, and is been blown wildly around by the wind, contrasting with her sun kissed bronze skin. By looks, these two girls couldn't be more different, but they seem to share the same view.

Their talking about how stupid this rumble is and that nothing good will come from it. Something crosses my mind. I had never met a Soc I could ask this before, and now seems like a good time.

"Cherry, whattya you think makes Socs and greasers different?" I ask.

Cherry is staring admiringly at me, and I sigh. I'm used to been stared at but sometimes it gets tiering. "Your brother asked me the exact same question the other night," she says with a smile.

"Money, right?" Kate asks.

"No, I don't think it's not money. Maybe a little, but not all of it. You greasers have different set of values. You're more emotional. We're more sophisticated.. Nothing is real with us," she says. "Have you ever hear of having more then you wanted? So that you couldn't want anything else and then started looking for something else to want? It seems like we're always searching for something to satisfy us, and never finding it. Maybe if we could lose our cool, we would."

I guess that was true. Socs were always behind this wall of aloofness, careful not to let their real selves show through. I had seen a social-club rumble before. The Socs even fought cold and practically, never letting their true emotions through.

"That's why were separated, it's not just money, its feeling, You Socs don't feel anything, and we greasers feel too aggressively," I murmur, for the first time understanding.

The boys were back by then, looking decided. Cherry smiles and nods her head. Kate is quite and has a thoughtful look on her face.

"Thanks for helping us and Ponyboy and Johnny out, Cherry. We really appreciate it," Darry frowns.

"If you hear anything else, you let us know, aight?" Two-Bit asks.

"Yeah no problem," Cherry shrugs.

"But, if you even so much as think about telling the _socialites,_" Steve sneers the word, "about what went down tonight, shit is gonna hit the fucken' fan," he says menacingly.

"Trust me, I won't," Cherry sighs.

Dally stands up and walks over to Cherry. The boys start talking about the rumble, but I don't join in. Kate is quite and our fingers are still joined. I listen to Dally trying to sweet talk Cherry his way into bed with her.

"Hey baby, I know that we got off on the wrong foot the other night . . . What bout' I make up for it? Sometime we should go over to the Dingo and catch a movie and coke?" He asks slyly.

If it had been any other girl, they would have jumped at the chance to sleep with Dallas Winston, but instead Cherry glared at him.

"No thanks. And you can go straight to hell!" She says to him in a biting voice.

Wow. She really does have guts. Dally sighs and walks away from her, shaking his head and looking confused. Dally isn't used to rejection. I laugh quietly at this.

Two-Bit walks Cherry to her car and she drives off. It's good to know that the worst that can happen to Johnny is been charged with man slaughter, but Ponyboy and I still might be taken away and put into foster homes. My head starts to hurt at this thought, and I feel hollow.

No, I decide. I'm not going to think about this until I absolutely have to. I look back to the orange sky, wondering if Ponyboy is watching the same golden sun that I am this very moment, and that makes me feel a little better.

* * *

**So, what did you all think? I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think! Reviews really do help a lot, so give me ya constructive criticism so I can make my writing better, as well as help to keep me motivated!**  
**That's all for now, ta ta my lovelies!**

**-Fee xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my lovelies! I'm so, so sorry it took me so long to update! School has been crazy what with exams and all, how I loathe school! Anyway, this is quite a long chapter, 6000 words! Whew, took me ages to write! I hope you all enjoy! **

**-Disclaimer- I'm not Susie Hinton, just borrowing her beautiful characters!**

**Chapter 5  
**

* * *

We had started to walk home from the lot when it started to rain. Down and heavy it falls like icy tears. Steve and Kate had already started to head in the opposite direction to their house, and Two-Bit had decided that a drag race would be a bit of fun for the night and was out looking for Tim Shepard, who had bet him that he could beat Two-Bit rip roaring drunk.

So it was just me Darry and Dally walking home. We were quite, thinking. I look to Darry angrily. Maybe if he hadn't hit Ponyboy that night we wouldn't be in this situation right now! I hold my tongue, though. I'm not going to tell Darry that I think this, he already blames himself enough. Don't ask me where the hell all of this is coming from, it's just like yesterday with Two-Bit. Anger just seems to be leaking through every crack in my fractured mind.

There were red and blue lights flashing behind us, and even before we turn around, I know it's the fuzz. They're always pulling over greasers who walk around the streets, even more so when it's at night. I sigh to myself irritably. I really can't be stuffed with their prejudice jibs tonight. I look up at Dally, who looks up at Darry.

Dally sighs and jams his hands into his pockets. "Figures they'd be lookin' for me, just a matter of time," Dally mutters and pulls out a smoke.

I nod my head in agreement. Of course the cops were looking Dally. Anywhere there's trouble; they know that Dallas Winston is more than likely to be involved. The two fuzz get out of their cars and walk over to us.

"Okay, Winston. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you're coming with us," they say to him sternly.

I recognise the two cops. They're the ones that are usually on this side of town and their always dealing with Dally.

"Hey boys, long time no see. Wanna' hear a joke?" Dally asks them blowing his cigarette smoke in their faces and without waiting for an answer, he continues. "What's strong enough to carry around pigs all day?" He waits for an answer and they just look blankly at him. "A police horse," he spits at them, before bending over and laughing.

Darry stifle's a laugh by pretending to cough. Usually I would have been on the ground laughing my arse off, but nothing seems to make me laugh anymore. I just stand there motionlessly, looking at my worn converse sneakers.

"All right buddy, you've had your laugh, now get in the car," one of the cops say to him.

"Hold up just a minute," Darry says stepping forward. "What's this all about?"

"We think that Dallas here might know where your brother and Johnny Cade are," the cops say to him. "We're taking him in for questioning."

So they think that Dally might know where Pony and Johnny are too. My heart skips a beat. I look over to Dally and he has a hard look on his face.

"And what if I don't go with you?" He asks cockily.

"Then we will have to force you," they growl.

Dally scoffs at them, clearly amused at the thought that two cops would be able to take him, even with weapons. I recognize the look in his eye. He was about to belt the fuck through them cops. He would be able to do it to, if I was them, I would get back in my car and drive off.

Darry steps back to Dally and puts one hand on his shoulder. "You just got out of reform school; do you really want to go back in?" He asks him quietly.

Dally looks at him, then at me and shrugs. "Fine, take me in for questioning, but don't think you'll be putting one hand on me, I just had a shower and don't want to smell like I walked out of a piggery," he snarls, before striding off to the police car.

The cops nod at Darry, ignore me and then shove Dally into the car and as they drive off. I hear Dally keeping up a stream of abusive jokes at the fuzz.

I look down at the ground again and turn around and start walking home. Darry won't look at me.

"Well, I'm going to go and try to track down Two-Bit . . . He'll want to know what's going on," he says to me. "Will you be okay to go home by yourself?"

I nod my head mutely. I can't muster the energy to even try to speak.

"Okay then . . . I'll be home soon," Darry tells me before turning around and walking off towards Two-Bit's house.

* * *

I start walking home in the rain. I feel a little sick, and my head starts to spin and I feel dizzy. I keep walking anyway. I dimly think to myself that I should walk a little faster otherwise some Socs will jump me, but that really doesn't seem like a problem right now.

It's freezing. The moon is out, it's foggy. I can see my breath coming from my mouth in puffs. I'm in just a pair of blue jeans, my light blue DX shirt that's unbuttoned so that my white T-shirt underneath is visible and my converse sneakers. I cross my arms over each other and run my hand through my dark golden hair. It's raining harder than before, and the drops of water sting against my skin. Eventually I get home. It's dark inside so I turn on the lights, trying not to be too disappointed as I again realise Ponyboy isn't home. I'm overcome with dizziness, I know it's because I  
haven't eaten in two days. I can't eat. Every time I do, I just throw it back up.

I stumble into mine and Ponyboy's bedroom and slump down on the floornd lean back against the bed. My knees are pressed against my chest, and my chin rested atop them, my arms wrapped around my legs. I close my eyes tightly, willing the dizziness to go away. _Ponyboy_ I think to myself over and over again. My kid brother. I love Ponyboy more than anyone else in the world. I love him more then I loved Mom and Dad even.

Same with Darry. My brothers are the most important thing to me in my life. If it was Darry missing, I wouldn't be so worried. Darry's big and tough and smart and uses his head. He can take care of himself. Ponyboy's just a kid. He could be hurt, scared or dead in a ditch for all I know. I feel like I'm getting a fever. My forehead is burning, my throat is dry and I have a ringing in my ears. I sit there not moving until I hear Darry come's home.

"Soda?"

I ignore him. Maybe if I act like I ain't home then he'll just go away. Maybe.

"Little buddy?"

_Please go away, please go away, please go away_, I think to myself over and over again. I hear a knock on my bedroom door followed by been pushed open.

"Hey, Soda. What are you doing?"

I wearily lift my dull eyes to him. "Hey, Darry. Nothing," I mumble.

Darry stands in the door way for a second, before moving forward to crouch in-front of me.

"You don't look to good, do ya feel sick?" he asks, moving to place his hand on my forehead.

I slap his hand away. "I'm just a little dizzy, that's all."

Darry stares at me for a second, before sighing and sitting next to me. I grit my teeth in annoyance. "He'll come home little buddy, I promise."

I whip my head around to glare at me. "You promise? Oh yeah, like that means shit to you!" I snap, angrily. "Just like you _promised_ that you'd always take care of me and Ponyboy, no matter what? Yeah, and what a piss poor job you did of that, hitting a fourteen year old for been late home!" Darry's eye's widen in shock, no doubt from the fact that I've turned on him. "Damn it Dar! He was just been a kid, just a kid!" I start to sob, my head falling into my hands and my shoulders shake.

Darry watches me for a few seconds, before he slowly, cautiously wraps one arm around my shoulder, the other rubbing my back. I rest my head on his shoulder, not caring how weak I must look, how immature I must seem. I just don't care.  
After a few minutes I manage to regain myself. I sniffle and wipe my eyes, promising myself that this would be the last time I lose it in front of anyone until we find Pony.

I look up at Darry, who had small, tired, sad smile on his face. "I guess I deserved that,huh?"

"Yeah , I guess you did." I return the small smile.

"Soda," he starts slowly. "I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me. I get that you might not want to tell me, but if there's anything  
ever going on, you know you can tell me, right?"

I think about Sandy, how she cheated, how she got pregnant, how she left me. How that alone would be enough to send me into a depression, let alone without Ponyboy leaving.

I know I need to tell Darry. He's gotta know, before word on the street reaches him. But there's one thing I gotta do, something I can't let Darry know about. Send a letter to Sandy.

"Darry, Sandy left me," I whisper.

He stares at me, comprehending the words. "Oh, little buddy, I had no idea," he starts, obviously shocked.

"But that's not the worst of it. She-she cheated on me, and now she's pregnant to him and her parents moved her to Florida to live with her grandmother." My voice wobbles.

Darry looks at my, pity in his icy eyes. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell him, I don't want any sort of pathetic pity.

"Little buddy, I'm so sorry. But she didn't deserve, you know that, right? You deserve the best."

I don't feel like talking to him anymore about this, so I let it drop, nodding my head. "Yeah. Yeah I know Dare."

* * *

At around two in the afternoon the next day, I can't wait any longer. I have to see Dally for myself as soon as possible, and find out what he _does_ know about Ponyboy and Johnnycake. Eventually Steve gets sick of me jumping up and down on the spot that he tells me to go then and there to Buck Merrils place for Dally.

"Thanks buddy, you sure you don't want to come with?" I ask him.

"Naw, got a new engine to install in an old Chevrolet that was just bought in. Gonne be a real doll when she's done," Steve said admiring the broken down piece of crash metal.

Whatever floats ya boat I guess. Kate was standing behind the checkout counter, chewing gum and generally looking bored while a couple of Soc girls were watching and trying their best to flirt with me.

"Hey Kate!" I yell to her from the garage. "You wanna come for a drive down to Buck Merrils place with me?" She grins and jumps at the opportunity to get away from the icy glares of the customers.

"Sure. Anything to get away from those bitches," she whispers playfully, raising her arched eyebrows.

I laugh at this and jump into the truck. We chat about a number of topics as we drive along to Bucks place. Kate keeps the conversations interesting, and didn't stop talking the whole time. Neither did I. I have butterflies in my stomach and the suspense is killing me.  
I had cried most of last night, I'm the bawl baby of the family, but I couldn't help it. I miss Ponyboy. I had cried every night he had been gone, I guess that's one of the reasons why I can't sleep; I'm too busy crying my damn eyes out.

This morning before work, I had posted that letter to Sandy, asking why she had done those things, if she's sure it's not my kid, that I would still marry her and who's it really is. On the way to Bucks, I explain to Kate who he is.

"Buck is Dally's rodeo partner. His the one who actually got Dally his job as a jockey, his a quarter horse breeder but about as truthful as a politic. You don't want to get into a tangle with him. The only person who can deal with him is Dally, and that's by bossing him around," I tell her in a rush.

I'm real annoyed at Ponyboy for going to Bucks place, even under the circumstances. He was under strict orders from both Darry and me not to get with ten miles of Bucks place. As we pull up outside of Bucks large bar slash motel house, I can hear the sound of a morning party kicking off.

I look over to Kate. She looked innocent and sweet. I grimace. She looked like a piece of meat ready for any dog to take.

"When we get inside, stay close to me and don't look at one," I tell her grimly.

She just smiles and hops out of the truck. I follow her out and we walk to the front door. I bang loudly on the door and a few seconds later Buck himself opens the door.

"Sodapop Curtis! Well I haven't seen you in months, how ya been kid?" Buck asks me, and then he sees Kate standing next to me.

I see the way he is looking at her and I can't stand it. She raises her chin a little higher and crosses her arms across her chest, glaring at him. I also cross my arms over my chest, knowing that when I do this, my muscles stand out huge.

"I'm doing fine thanks Buck; we're actually here to see Dally, is he about?" I demand.

Bucks eyes leave Kate and he looks back to me. "Yeah kid, go up the stairs and it's the fourth door on the right," He tells us.

I nod to him once, grab Kate by the hand and pull her through the door way. Inside the bar, there's loud music playing and it's hard to see through all of the smoke. I can smell the whisky and vodka from here. Men and women of all ages stare at us. Kate squeezes my hand tightly and I tighten my grip on hers, pulling her a little closer to me. I see the stairs of to my left and start walking up them with Kate behind me, still holding my hand. It felt nice. It felt right.

We follow Bucks instructions and find ourselves out the front of a room. I knock quietly in case Dally was with anyone-that's what usually happened in Bucks rooms.  
I hear a muffled voice saying "Ima comin," and Dallas himself opens the door in a pair of jeans and an old torn shirt.

Once he realises it's just me and Kate, he smiles and opens the door widely and I'm relieved to see his by himself.

"Hey guys, what can I do for ya?"

"Hey Dallas, can we come in?" I ask boldly, glad to know he was in a good mood despite the state his in.

His got bags under his eyes and stubble on his chin and his hairs even more of mess than usual. "Sure," he says and closes the door behind us.

He slaps us both on the back on the back and motions for us to take a seat.

"Sorry to get you up, but it's important," I tell him seriously.

"No problem, I was just sleepin' of a hangover from last night. After I left yours, I went on a bit of a bender, what's the problem?" he asks pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Ponyboy," I say to him. "Two-Bit was asking around if anyone had seen him or Johnny. A couple of guys said that they think they saw them here at around two am the night they ran off, asking for you," I start slowly.

I watch for Dally's reaction. Most people wouldn't have been able to pick up when his hiding something, not even the fuzz, but I knew him almost as well as he knew himself. Dally spins the silver ring on his index finger around and around, something he does when his lying, froze for half a second, took a long drag on his smoke, kept his eyes steady and looked at both me and Kate.

"I don't know what these guys think they saw, but I haven't seen the boys since I left them at the movie house that night man," Dally keeps his eyes level with mine.

Kate sighs behind me, and I know she thinks his lying too. She leans back against a chest of drawers next to Dally's bed, watching him.

"Well these guys description of both Pony and Johnny was pretty spot on," I insist.

"I'm telling you, I haven't seen them, man," Dally says puffing on his smoke some more.  
I sigh in frustration, and plonk down on a chair.

Dally sits opposite of me on his bed, with a hard look on his face. I look around the small untidy room before I spot something that I recognize. I walk over to the object and pick up a black sleeveless sweat shirt. My black sleeveless sweat shirt, the one I gave to Ponyboy, the one he was wearing the night he ran off. I hold the shirt up in the air and Dally freezes.

"Still think you didn't see them that night?" I demand angrily.

"I haven't seen them kid! I don't know where the fuck they are. Besides that shirt could have belonged to anyone!"

I get mad then. Real mad. All of the frustration and pain and worry just seem to boil over out and into cold anger. I jump over to Dally and pick him up of the bed by the scruff of his shirt colour, and shove him against the wall, holding them there off the floor.

"Tell me where they are now!" I order viciously, tightening my grip around his shirt and painfully jabbing my fingers into the side of his neck.

"If I didn't know what you had been through this past week, you would be dead by now kid," Dally hisses at me.

I know it's true, a man had once _told_ Dally nicely to move down the line at a dime store, and Dally had knocked out three of his teeth just because the man had _told_ him what to do, let alone threatened him. But I know if I and Dally fought, it would be an even fight. Dally may be meaner, tougher, scarier, had more experience fighting in New York, more relentless, as well as fighting dirty, but I'm just as strong as him and experienced in fights, and boy do I have a temper. Besides, Dally had been belted plenty of times. I've never lost a fight.

"Okay guys; let's just cool it a little, yeah?" Kate quietly murmurs. She comes over and gently pulls me by the shoulders away from him. Her hand caresses my neck for a second. Under her soft touch, I calm down.

I let go of Dally, shoving him against the wall and he drops back down to the floor. I cross my arms over my chest and stare at him. Kate stands between us, and I can see Dally's doing all he can do to stop himself from belting the hell out of me.

"Dally; we know that even _if_ you do know where the boys are, you're not going to tell us," Kate says to him. "But . . . hypothetically, if you _did_ know where they were, you would give them whatever _we_ gave to _you_ to give to _them,_ wouldn't you?" Dally considers this for a minute.

"Yeah, I would I guess," he says finally.

Kate smiles at this taking my elbow and steers me to the other side of the room. "If you write a letter to Ponyboy, Dally should take it to them whenever he sees them next," she tells me.

I had never thought of this. I smile too and grab a pen and paper from Dally's desk. I think about what to say for a minute before starting.

_Ponyboy.  
Well I guess you got into some trouble, huh? Darry and  
me nearly went nuts when you ran out like that. Darry is  
awful sorry he hit you. You know he didn't mean it. And  
then you and Johnny turn up missing and what with that  
dead kid in the park and Dally getting hauled into the station,  
well it scared us something awful. The police came by to  
question us and we told them as much as we could. I can't  
believe little old Johnny could kill somebody. I know Dally  
knows where you are, but you know him. He keeps his trap  
shut and won't tell me nothing. Darry hasn't got the slightest  
notion where you're at and it is nearly killing him. I wish  
you'd come back and turn yourselves in but I guess you  
can't since Johnny might get hurt. You sure are famous.  
You got a paragraph in the newspaper even. Take care and  
say hi to Johnny for us.  
Sodapop Curtis_

Writing the letter, I felt like I was going to go mad. All I want is my little brother home. And Johnny, well his like a brother to me as well. I enclose the letter in an envelope with $12, handing it to Dally.

"Make sure you give this to Ponyboy," I say to him.

"I don't know where they are or if I will see them either, Soda," Dally said, still keeping his trap shut.

I don't know why he won't tell us where they are, and his not going to. "I don't care," I said, and shoved it into his hand.

I stand there, looking at him for a moment and his expression softens. He punches me playfully in the shoulder and I return it with a smack across his neck. That's what it's like with us greasers, we could have a full blown punch on one minute, and still be best buddy's the next.

"Sorry I flipped on you, man," I guiltily hang my head.

"No problem kid. We all do crazy shit when were stressed." He hands me a cigarette and I accept it.

Normally I wouldn't smoke, but under the circumstances, I know I need it. Lighting it up and taking a long drag on it, I feel a little calmer. Dally offers Kate, which she accepts gratefully, lighting it up.

I watch her for a few seconds. Normally girls smoking doesn't do anything for me. It's not like I think its gross or anything, but it never really seemed hot or anything. But watching Kate blow the smoke out of her mouth in an almost seductive way, makes my heart beat faster.

"Well, we had better be of now," I tell Dally, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. Kate gets up of the bed and stands next to me.

"Sure thing kid . . . try not to worry about Johnny or Pony too much, I'm sure their okay man," Dally tells me, giving me a back slapping hug.

* * *

As we walk down the staircase we're greeted by even more harmful offers and glares then we had before, even though we had only been up there with Dally for less than thirty minutes.

By now most of the people are drunk out of their minds again. Kate has an expressionless look on her face, but I can see concern in her eyes. I take her hand again and squeeze it. She squeezes back and I lead her through the throng of people. A few of the hoods I recognise, and they slap me on the back yelling over the music their greetings. I look for the exit sign but see none. We walk around pool tables, poker players and bars. I see one guy admiring Kate.

He seems familiar but I pay no mind to him. I finally see the exit sign and start to walk towards it, with Kate still holding my hand, but the Soc that was checking out Kate blocks our path. I glare at him and he ignores me, too busy leering at Kate.

"Now what's a good looking broad like you, hanging around with a dirty greasy hood like Sodapop Curtis?" He asks her in a lazy hateful voice.

I realise why his familiar to me. It's Jackson O'Brian. A couple of weeks ago, me, Steve and Two-Bit had been working late at the garage. . . Well me and Steve had been, Two-Bit was drinking beer and watching TV, when a bunch of Socs had jumped out of their red mustang. There had been four of them. Jackson was the one who had bought them there with him. We had been fighting with them on and off for years, and I guess they must have been bored with that.  
_  
"You bums, especially you Soda, had better stop trying to pick up on our women, their too good for you, you greasy trash," Jackson had said to us in a menacing voice._

_It went dead quite then, and I snorted. As if we would ever try and pick up their girls, most of them were ugly and snobby, and they were the ones that would come round trying to hook up with me. _  
_Steve had crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at them in a way that would freeze hell over. Two-Bit had taken out a smoke and took a long, heavy drag on it and looked at his feet shaking his head. I had followed his example, taking out a smoke and lighting it and took a drag, blowing the smoke in Jackson's and his outfits face. Steve and Two-Bit looked at me, nodding their heads so slightly that only I knew what they were saying. They weren't afraid, and neither was I. _  
_Us greasers may not be as big and tall as Socs. They were more like gorillas, all brawn and no brains. But we greasers are more like panthers, slouchy slim and smart. Even with that disadvantage, we were better fighters then any Socs. I had once fought three of them off at once on my own and won. _  
_I sighed, looked them in the eyes and said, "Now why come did ya'll have to go and say that?" Before punching Jackson in the face, causing him to fall over. _  
_Steve jumped on top of one of the larger guys and body tackled him to the ground, kicking him hard in the ribs the whole time. Two-Bit been Two-Bit, had taken on two guys at once, and winning. _  
_Jackson had started to get back up then, and I had punched him twice more in the face, and then kicked him hard in the jewels. By then the guy Steve had taken down was running off towards their car with Two-Bit's friends not far behind. Jackson was holding his crutch and half crawling half running along with them._ After that day they had left us alone, until now.

I step in front of Jackson, blocking his view of Kate, and stare him straight in the eyes. We're the exact same height, but I can tell I'm stronger than him. His lost a lot of weight in the past few days and I wonder why, until I remember that Bob had been his friend. I may have looked cool and calm, but on the inside I was bristling with anger. His words were chaffing on my raw nerves, and I can't stand it when some Soc calls one of us a Greaser. When one Greaser calls another Greaser a Greaser, then it's okay . . . it's playful and fun then, but when an uptight, cold heartless Soc calls us one, it makes me mad as hell. I can tell my eyes are blazing with anger, and my fists clench at my sides. Jackson is eye level with me and keeps contact. I get the mental image of two dogs with their hackles up growling at each other.

I see Kate standing behind me from the corner of my, and anger flares through me.

"Don't you darecall me a dirty greasy hood, and don't you _ever _speak to her that way," I snarl at him.

What I said must have worked because Jackson backed up. Most of the time, I probably would have just laughed and told him to piss of, but for some reason these past few days my temper, even though I am naturally hot tempered, had reached boiling point, a strange thing for me. I'm usually the happy go-lucky one in the family, the one that never has any problems- even if Darry is best at keeping his head out of all seven of our outfit, I guess that's what makes him the un-official leader of our group.

"You're lucky there's a rumble on tomorrow night, otherwise I would beat the tare outta you," he mutters to me.

I laugh at this. "Yeah right. Just like last time, right ol' pal?"  
A crowed had started to form around me. A few of the guys were other hoods and I knew them well. They laughed at this. They all knew how Two-Bit, Steve and me had fought Jackson and his outfit, outnumbered and still won. Jackson glowered at me.

"Just you watch it _pal, _you never know when one of us will get bored with our own kind of women and decide to have fun with one of yours. Ya know, it ain't like we would want to, it's more of something we would do just to piss you off," he said, looking at Kate again disgustingly. "And if any of you try us, then we _will_ beat you're head in so bad it'll look like a piece of meat that's just gone through a tenderiser."

That was it. The last straw. A red haze covers my vision and my breath catches in my throat. It was almost like some sort of wild animal instinct had taken over and I was no longer in control of my own body.

I throw all of my strength and weight into my back leg, curl my fists into a solid hard ball, and throw my arm forward as hard as I could, making contact with Jacksons face. A loud, satisfying crunching noise escapes, and the crowd around us 'awwwwd' at the sound. Jackson loses his balance and topples over, holding his nose. It was dead silent except for the sound of the jukebox playing western music and a few murmurs coming from the people around us, wondering what was gonna happen next.  
My heart was hammering in my chest, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The circle around me and Jackson had grown tighter, and from the corner of my eye I see Kate standing there with a concerned look on her face.

For a split second I was thought about going back to her, but her eyes quickly dart from mine back to Jackson and anger explodes on her features. I turn back around to see what she was looking at, and boiling rage fires through my system again. Jackson was standing back up, blood smeared over his face but in a stance that could only mean one thing. He wanted more.

"Really?" I ask, biting a laugh back. "Again? Or are you just that damn stupid you don't know when to stop?"

"Well, pretty boy, I was figuring since I'll be having my way with your girlfriend and any other greaser girl I see pretty soon, I may as well keep goin' with you," Jackson smarted.  
"You know something? If your baby brothers back by the time of this rumble, it won't be you I'm coming after . . . It'll be him. Him and his little murderer of a friend," he laughed bitterly.

I can honestly say that what I did next, I had no control over what's so ever. Threatening Kate, bad enough. Threatening the gang, worse still. But threatening my baby brother when his missing and wanted for an accessory to murder, threatening the person I love most in the entire world other than Darry, _threatening _my baby brother when I'm half crazed and outta my mind, was the stupidest thing Jackson could have done right then. With a cry of pure rage, I grab him by the shirt, and push him through the crowd of people, kicking chairs out of the way, breaking some, finally smashing him into a pool table so hard that the heavy timber literally moved. I punched him over and over again in the face so hard that I could feel my knuckles bleeding and bruising. I take all of my frustration and anger out on him, and the harder I punched, the better I felt.

After what felt like hours, but couldn't have been any longer than ten seconds, a few of the larger hoods who were gonna be at the rumble, Sonny and Mikey, grab me under the upper arms and dragged me away from Jackson, who was now bleeding from every inch of his smug face, towards the door yelling at me to ease up and calm down.  
I struggle to get out of their grip, but with no success, screaming at them to let me at him, to just let me have on more hit.

I couldn't take my eyes of Jackson, who was now been looked over by Buck and a few of his friends. I clench my fists back together breathing hard.

"Soda!" I hear someone yell over the music.  
I take no notice, my eyes fixed on Jackson, and still struggling to get out of Sonny and Mikey's firm grasp.

"Soda, calm down already!" the worried voice, gentle and soft begs me, with a hint of anger laced through it.

My view fixes on Kate, who was now standing in front of me. I continue to struggle to get out of Sonny and Mikey's arms. Nothing could stop me from wanting to kill Jackson.

Kate steps forward, putting both of her hands on either side of my cheeks, holding my face close to hers so I look deep into her eyes. I stop struggling so much.

"Relax, Soda. If you keep going at him, you'll be the one up for murder charges," she breaths, her baby blues keeping my eyes level with her.

Immediately, that thought sobers me up. Darry doesn't need any more trouble. I take a deep breath and nod at her, showing that I'm okay now. Kate slowly pulls her soft hands off my face.

"Let him go guys, his fine," Kate mutters up at Sonny and Mikey. They loosen their grip on me, and I step away from them.

"Sorry, Sodapop. It was either that or have your big brother beating our heads into next week for letting you kill someone," Mikey grimaces, Sonny nodding his head.

"It's alright. I'll see you fellas at the rumble," I mutter stiffly, still not trusting myself to be anywhere near Jackson.

Kate grabs my arm, and drags me out the front door quickly. Outside in the fresh air and sunshine, I look at Kate. She looks worried and tense.

I take a few deep breaths, and run my hands through my blonde hair, blowing out big gusts of air. After a few seconds Kate speaks.

"You alright?" She asks flatly.

I look at her. "Not really, but at least I'm not killing someone anymore," I crack a grin.

All the anger and adrenalin had passed, and now I was feeling sort of calm and tired, a little bored even. The worrying feeling was still in my stomach, but all of the rage had gone. I jump from one emotion to another, not even stopping for a breath in between.

"Well, for some unknown reason, I have a feelin' his not going to be botherin' you anymore," Kate says lightly. "Anyway, with my amazing fighting skills you didn't have to help, I coulda taken him on my own!

I laugh, and rub my fists. "Amazing fighting skills?" I ask.

Kate nods her head cheekily. "Yeah, I was gonna pounce on him, and pull his hair," she jokes.  
I laugh again.

"Right, I've really gotta teach you how to throw a punch. Come on, let's get outta here," I chuckle, dropping my arm over her shoulder.

We get into the truck and start to pull out of the driveway. Behind us I see a T-Bird I recognise as Bucks. I look in the review mirror to see who it is, and I swear I saw Dally. The person ducked their head a little lower, pulling on some sun glasses and tuned off on a road opposite of the way we were going. I shrug to myself and keep driving.

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**So, how was it? It was just a lil' bit long, I know but I felt like I just had to give a good chunk of it out there. I love, love, love feedback! It will make my horrid day so much better, so please review! And constructive criticism is a God send, so lay it on me!  
That's all for now, ta ta my lovelies!**

**-Fee xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey lovelies'. I'm sorry it took me so long to update- again. But this time there's a reason for it, so read on to the bottom of the page and I'll explain why and what I need all of you wonderful readers to do! I hope you enjoy!**

-Disclaimer- I own nothing but Kate and her story. 

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****I drive along the road slowly. There's no one else around, and I'm in no hurry to go back to the garage. I can't help but to look at Kate. She's sitting with her feet up against the dash board, singing along with the Elvis tape we've got in. She looks annoyed, gnawing on her bottom lip and I don't understand why. There's so much to this girl. She looks at me then. I look away quickly, but I can feel her watching me still, and from the corner of my eye I can see she's got an inquisitive look on her face. Like she's trying to work something out, but can't quite put her finger on it.

I drive past one of the abandoned parks, just outside of Tulsa. It's a shame really. It's a real pretty place to sit in on a day like this. It's overlooking a big blue lake. No one hangs around here anymore though. Not since a newer park a couple miles down the road had been built, one with a water slide attracting almost everyone away from this spot. Suddenly I see Kate's head snap up.

"Pull up here, in this park," she tells me quickly.

I look at her curiously, but does as she says. I pull up under one of the trees at the lakes edge. Kate jumps out of the truck, and sits on the hood of it. I step out as well, wondering what we were doing here. I sit next to her on the hood of the truck. She looks at me then.

"Are you okay?" she asks me in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you don't seem okay. I can tell you're not yourself, and though I don't know you when you are yourself, I can tell that you're never like this." I sigh and look down at my hands. She's right. I'm not myself at all. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she asks me.

I shrug. "What's there to talk bout?"

"I know . . . things have been hard lately, but if you ever need someone to talk to . . ." she trails of then, looking out to the lake.

I blow out a big gust of air. We sit there in silence, and I take her hand. She gives it a squeeze and I wonder what we must look like to the outside world. A couple? More than a couple? I don't even know what we are, and that bothers me.

I think over everything that has happened the past week and then I can't hold it in anymore. I have held it in and not told anyone how I'm feeling. Not Steve, not Two-Bit, not Dally. All I have done is yell Two-Bit and at Darry, and told him about Sandy. But I want to tell Kate.

"It's Ponyboy," I tell her at last. She doesn't say anything, except nods her head understandingly. "I don't . . . I don't know what to do. I want to do something-anything to help but what can I? My little brother is missing and wanted for murder along with one of my one of my best buddies, the last person to have seen him alive is _Dally Winston _,Darry is stressed to the eyeballs, my girlfriend that I planned on marrying one day has dumped me and moved to Florida, I can't sleep, can't eat, can't do anything. All I feel like doing is breaking down but I know if I do, that it would be the same as giving up on Pony and Johnny, and I need to stay strong for them and Darry." It all comes out in one big rush.

I feel like I have a big lump of porridge stuck in my throat and I feel tears stinging the back of my eyes. Kate is quite, thinking.

"Have you talked to anyone at all? Like Darry or Steve about how you feel?" she asks me.

I shake my head. "I told Darry, how worried I am about Pony and Johnny, but that's all. These are my problems; I should be able to handle them on my own. Anyway, like I said l . . . I need to stay strong." My voice starts quivering.

I feel a single tear role down my cheek and I wipe it away quickly. I jump down off the hood of the truck and stand there looking at the lake. Kate slides of the truck and stands in front of me.

"You don't always have to be strong. You _can _get upset. You _can_ yell and cry and just feel hopeless. Because if you don't, and you force yourself to be hard and tough and beyond caring about anything, you end up like Dally or Tim Shepherd, or guys in New York . . . It's okay to feel like this, Soda. You don't need to be strong every second of every day," she says gently.

I think some more about Ponyboy and Johnnycake, then my parents, then Sandy and then Ponyboy again, and I can't help it, I just start to cry. I don't sob or sniffle, just a few silent tears role down my cheeks. Kate blinks quickly and her eyes shine huge before hugging me.

She doesn't say anything. After a while, I manage to get a hold of myself. I sigh and look back out to the lake.

"Ain't I tough?" I sigh, cracking a grin.

Kate laughs. "My Dad always used to say, that even the toughest guy can't be stronger then emotions."

"Well he clearly never met Dallas or Darry."  
Kate laughs again and lies back on the hood of the truck watching the sky, her dark hair flowing down her shoulders and neck, staring at the clouds. I lay down next to her, fingers in twine.

"Hey Soda," Kate says to me. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"What are we? I mean, are we together, in a relationship, friends . . .?"

I sigh. "To tell you the truth, I don't know."

"I know we haven't known each other that long, but the past few days have been the best that I have had in a real long time," she tells me honestly.

I smile at this hugely, glade to know that she feels the same way.

"I like you heaps more then I probably should, considering the situation I'm in," I laugh in dark humour at this.

Kate is quite for a moment. "I think that we should hold off on anything until . . . things turn somewhat back to normal," she says eventually.

I nod in agreement. I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea, but at least I know she likes me. I look back up to the sky. The sun has moved across it and I guess it must be about three or four in the afternoon. Time moves too fast. In one day, it took both my parents. In one week it took Ponyboy, Johnnycake and Sandy. Who knows who else it's gonna take from me.

I sigh deeply, and relax a little. The soft warm sun heats my face and I can hear the water lapping at the edges of the lake. Usually I can't sit still. It's actually a really bad habit. I can't even sit still long enough to watch or enjoy a movie. Ponyboy says I remind him of a long legged palomino colt that has to get my nose into everything.

I had laughed at this and messed up his hair, with him telling me how I should never muck up his do'. And usually if I find something fun or interesting, I end up getting bored with the same old thing after a time. I don't really know when or if I'll ever grow up . . . I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess I'll find out one of these days.

"Hey Kate, why'd you drop out of school?" I asked, rolling over to look at her. "I mean, Steve said you had been accepted into some of the best private high schools in the country."

Kate look over to me, then leans down of the side of the truck to pick a flower.

"Well, it's hard to explain I guess. I wasn't always smart. My Mom and Dad forced me into doing two hours of tutoring every night from the time I was old enough to talk, but after my parents died and I moved to New York with Caty, school just seemed pointless." A smile twitches at the side of her mouth as she spins the daisy around in her fingers.

"So why come are you a high school dropout and a mechanic instead of studying to be a lawyer and getting ready to go to college?"

"Like I said, I needed some time off school and it was all just pointless, I'm not that person anymore. I don't want those things."

"Well, what do you want?"

She looks at me sideways before continuing to speak. "I dunno, never thought that much bout it. But if there's one thing I do want more than anything, is to be back in Montana, on the ranch. To be getting up at dawn and not getting back till dusk. Out there in the never ending wild mountains, with no buildings and streets, no people hustling around too busy in their everyday lives, just to be back home."

I think about that. It does sound tempting. There's nothing I love more than riding horses, and to be somewhere so remote and beautiful and all the adventures that comes with it sounds like the perfect place.

"It sounds like a pretty tuff place. I can see why you miss it. What about your brother?" I ask, remember she had one.

"Nate and I don't talk anymore. Since before my parents died," Kate tells me bluntly.

"Why come?"

"Bout six months before my parents died, Mom, Dad and Nate had a massive fight. They didn't want him to stay on the property, becoming a rancher. Nate has the smarts to do anything, his smarter than me, the smartest person ever. They wanted him to go to med school and make something of himself. Mom was never that pushy, but be dammed if Dad was ever gonna let his precious boy go to waste. I didn't want him to leave, but as usual he did what my Dad said, took off and left for Harvard . . ." Kate said trailing off before continuing. "The last time I saw him was at Mom and Dad's funeral. We spoke for about fifteen minutes, and that was it. His going to finish his course in livestock veterinarian science before going back to Montana to take on the property. But I don't really care anymore."

"Why not?" I ask confused. I could never stop talking to my brothers, ever.

"We used to be real close, he was the one person I could tell anything to other then Caty. And when Mom and Dad told him to leave, I begged him not to go. But Nate chose his pride over me. So if he wants to be close again, that's not my problem," Kate states, shrugging.

I nod my head. I don't understand, but if that's the way she feels then I guess I can't stop her.

Can I tell you something?" she asks me suddenly.

"Yeah, course."

"Last night, Steve's parents called, and his Dad has decided to take the mining job in Arkansas . . . they'll be back on some weekends and holidays and stuff unfortunately, but Steve and I worked out that if his parents continue to own the house, and we just pay for the other stuff with part time jobs, I'll be able to stay!" She tells me excitedly.

"For real? Not just some joke, you're actually staying for good?" I ask her just as excitedly. She nods her head quickly.

"Shit, that's fantastic!" I yell grabbing her and hugging her. It's exactly what I had hoped for. I grin like a mad man. "So does this mean you're going to go back to school?" I ask.

"Yep, in a few weeks I'm going to the high school Steve and Two-Bit go to," she sighs.

"How are you going to be able to pay?" I ask curiously.

"Well . . . I haven't always been a greaser," she says slowly. I'm confused at this.

"You weren't a Soc, were you?" I ask, scared of what her answer might be.

"No! God no, I don't know how to explain it. My parents, they had money. We owned a . . . Large ranch, and made a good living off that. It's not like we were stinking rich, but we were well off."

"And that's how you can afford to go to school?"

She shakes her head. "Naw, all of the money was left in a trust fund for me and Nate, but since I'm still a minor I'm not allowed to activate it until I'm over eighteen. Nate's already twenty one, almost twenty two so his fine to use it."I open my mouth to ask how she can afford to go to school, but she beats me to it. "I did work while I lived in New York, Soda. How else would I have survived?" She laughs darkly at that. "I learnt mechanics, unfortunately the only job I could get there, and I saved up most of my money. But even when I do turn eighteen, I'm not keeping a cent of the cash Mom and Dad left for me."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to live off them. . . I want to get by in the world on my own, not living off my dead parents." Her reply was bitter, almost angry.

"Wow. So, how come you're a greaser and not a Soc?"

"Well in Montana they don't have Soc vs Grease going on, and like I said, Steve's the only family I have left, apart from our other Aunt and Uncle and their daughter in Kansas. Anyway when I moved to New York that's when I became a typical hood girl. But it's just not who I am. Greasers and hoods are different ya know? Greasers are just people who haven't had the best life, we can't really help it, but hoods can-they want to be hoods."

I nod slowly at this. I can see the torture in her eyes as she tells me about her parents. I decided to stop talking about it, I know how it hurts to think about that topic.

"Well I sure am glad you're staying," I happily tell her.

She smiles. "So am I. You know this is the first time I have felt happy in a long time." It wasn't a question, just a statement.

I nod, smiling. I start to fidget, and I can tell I'm getting bored from sitting still for too long.

"Wanna go for a walk?" I suggest.

"Sure," Kate agrees, standing up stretching.

* * *

We set of hand in hand around the lake side walking path. We walk for a few hundred meters before coming to a stop at the lake edge. The water is clear blue and it looks like it's bottomless.

The smell of Kate's soft mysterious perfume is been carried by the wind and tickling the inside of my nose. We sit down lazily by the lakes edge watching the water gently move.

I feel my shoulder brush against Kate's, so I put my arm around her shoulder, feeling her relax into it.

I look over to watch Kate. She's staring out at the water, a faint smile on her lips. Her long dark hair is been softly tousled around by the wind. Her skin is radiant in the light and her full lips are inviting. She turns to look at me, and looking into her sapphire blue eyes I can no longer ignore the feelings I have for her.

On impulse, I lean in and kiss her. My heart beats faster, the excitement coursing through my veins. I feel her come closer to me, and I move towards her as well, until our chests are pressed up hard against each other and I feel her kiss me back. Her full lips move tenderly with mine. Her lips are soft and warm, and I can taste vanilla and strawberry on them, with the lingering taste of cigarettes. I wrap one hand around the back of her neck and the other around her waist and she puts her arms around my neck. Our lips move together in harmony. I feel her tongue slide into my mouth as she tightens her arms around me. The kiss deepens and then suddenly Kate pulls back.

"Oh my God! Soda I'm so sorry," she gasps, un-wrapping her arms from around me, and I let her go.

I'm confused. "What are you on about? I ain't complaining, I've been wanting to do that the very first second I saw you," I tell her, a small frown on my face.

"I know what you mean. . . It's just that . . . we said we would take it slow, and you have been under so much stress lately, I don't want to put any more on you then necessary," she groans sounding almost sad at the thought, but determined.

"Kate . . . I get what you're saying . . . Shoot, I don't know how to explain it. When I'm with you, everything just seems so much better. It feels like I've know you for years and not just days, all of the pain just seems to disappear for a while," I tell her, frustrated with myself for not been good with words like Two-Bit.

Kate smiles at me and takes my hand. "That's the way I feel about you. But I don't want to make any decisions about us yet until Ponyboy and Johnny are back." Kate said looking into my eyes, and her smile is like the early morning sunrise, beautiful beyond words.

"I think that's a good idea, just one more thing though?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still doing this." I grin and bend my head down, kissing her on her soft warm lips, smiling against her as I feel her kiss me back.

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**Again I'm so sorry it took me so long to update and I apologise if it wasn't the best of the chapters, my writing juices haven't been working the past few weeks. Now, on for what I need you guys to do.  
A week ago, my childhood best friend, from the ages of about three to thirteen, Drew, passed away in a car accident. Drew would have been seventeen in August. The boy who was in the car with him, Jarrod, is currently still in a coma. There's this song that was dedicated for Drew at his funeral because it represented everything about him. It's really a beautiful song. This song is called ****_"Life of the Party" by Fozzey and VanC_****, they are Australian Hip-Hop artists. It would mean a huge deal to me, if everyone reading this would go to YouTube, listen to this song and send a pray for Drew in heaven and one for Jarrod who is still fighting for his life. Really listen to the song, and think about your own life and the people you love. Never take life for granted, or the people around you for granted. You never know when something terrible could happen.  
**_  
We're living in the stars, life is but a party remember who you are, you lived it like a party, life of the party, you were the life of the party. You lived the life of the party, you were the life of the party. _  
**  
I hope you all have a wonderful week and stay safe.  
That's all for now, ta ta my lovelies.**

-Fee xx  



	7. Chapter 7

**I'mmmmmmmm baccccccccccck! Hello lovelies! How are we all? I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've kinda just been on a lil bit of a break to really concerntrate on school, family, horses and social life, but I am now back and ready to write! Woooo!  
I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I really enjoyed writing it! So read on! :)**

**-Disclaimer- I own nuffin!**

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We lay under the warm sun, talking about things we had told no one else before. I want to know every little thing about her. She tells me about how she used to be a loser when she was younger, in every academics club and wore braces.

She told me about her best friend Caty and why they had decided to leave for New York, about her brother Nate and what his like, and about how her father had left them everything they owned and all of their money. She tells me everything, from her favourite food, to her biggest fear.

I told her about the times me and Steve were in drag races together, taking turns driving and sitting in the passenger's seat, about my Mom and Dad and what they were like, and the fight Darry and Pony had. I tell her about why I dropped out of school, I even opened right up and told her about my horse Mickey Mouse. He wasn't really my horse, a guy at the stable I used to work at owned him, but to me and everyone else he was.

The first time I saw Mickey Mouse I had said to Ponyboy, "There's my horse" and everyone knew it. I had been about twelve then, going on thirteen. I guess you could say I'm a tad horse crazy. Always riding them and been around em' whenever I could. Ponyboy used to say we reminded him of each other. Mickey Mouse was a dark-gold buckskin, sassy and ornery, not much older than a colt. He would only come when I called him, not for anyone else tho. I guess you could say we loved each other. He used to just stand next to me, and chew on my sleeve or collar. I would go down to the stable to see him every day. Mickey Mouse was a mean horse. He kicked other horse and was always getting into trouble.  
"I've got me an ornery pony," I'd tell him, rubbing his neck. "How come you're so mean Mickey Mouse?" I would ask him and he would just chew on my sleeve and nip me. Not hard. He might have belonged to another guy, but he was my horse. One day I went to the stable to find him been loaded onto a horse truck headed to New Mexico. A professional Rodeo rider had bought him for a hefty price. Mickey was a real valuable horse, pure Quarter.

I had cried all night long after he was taken away. I had never really wanted anything except a horse, and I had lost mine. I didn't tell Kate about the crying all night long part that was something I never wanted anyone to know about. After telling her about Mickey Mouse, Kate told me the same thing had happened to her sort of.

"Tell us what happened?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I had this horse called Oakwood. His a pure quarter horse as well, a dark bay. I loved him like you loved Mickey Mouse. I didn't ride him in rodeos or nothing like that; I used to get up real early before sunrise, and take him out around the ranch checking the cattle, and chasing mustangs. His kinda like Mickey . . . No one could ever get a finger on him in the paddock, only me. He would stand next to me and nibble on my hair or lick the salt of my hands. His the fastest horse that my family has ever owned. We put him up against numerous Thoroughbreds and other Quarter horses, he still manages to beat them." She goes quite remembering. "After my parents died . . . I didn't know what to do. They had left me and Nate the whole ranch to keep. It was all too much to deal with, so I ran. After a few weeks of New York I came back. My Dad's best friend, who was also the manager, was looking after the joint with his son and wife. He told me that I didn't have to look after it or anything and I could just sell it on the spot. Of course I didn't want to do that, so I decided to keep it in the family's name. In the whole state of Montana, it's the amongst the top two hundred biggest cattle ranches. I don't know how to look after one of the biggest cattle ranches in the state, so I hired my Mom and Dad's friend as manager, his the one looking after the place. I had gone back to New York and I had to leave Oakwood behind. I haven't seen him since." Kate's looking of into the distance. "I get that it's not the same as having your horse taken off you and knowing that you won't ever see them again, but I do understand what it's like to miss something that no one else will ever understand," she finishes.

I continue to look at her in amazement. This girl gets me so completely! I look back up to the sky, we had been here for hours. I hadn't even realised. It looks to be about four or five in the afternoon. At the exact same time Kate sighs and looks over to smile at me.

"I guess we should get going now, Steve's going to be furious if I don't do the dishes from this morning," she grimaces at the thought.

I laugh at this. "I was just going to say the same thing." I blow out a big gust of air, standing and pulling her up with me.

I rub my eyes tiredly. I hadn't slept much last night, only about an hour. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.

* * *

Dropping Kate of at her and Steve's house, I'm feeling a little a better. We had finally taken a step forward together. We had decided that as soon as Ponyboy and Johnny are back that we will make a decision about whether we're in a relationship or not-even though I'm 99.99% sure we are. I had leaned over and kissed her and felt her smile against my lips as she kissed me back just before she stepped out of the truck.

As I drive along home I look at the clock on the dash board. Yep, five thirty in the afternoon. I pull into the driveway and get out of the car. Our house is unusually quiet. There's almost always someone else here like Two-Bit or Dally or Steve but by the sounds of it no one's home.

Our house isn't normally quiet, what with three boys living here alone with their best buddies here _all_ of the time, the TV is always blaring or the radio on high volume or some sort of arm wrestle or contest going on. I walk slowly inside, a little alarmed at how quite it is. Then Darry jumps out of his bedroom, with an excited and annoyed look on his handsome face.

"Sodapop! Where the hell have you been? You were due home from work an hour ago!" He says in a rush.

"I was with Kate down at the lakeside park . . . Why? What's going on?"

"Ponyboy! Ponyboy and Johnny, they've been found, they're at the hospital, some sort of fire-I don't know! Look I'll explain on the way to the hospital let's just git going!" He yells, dragging me by the elbow out of the door and to his car.

Ponyboy? His back! Then this horrible feeling is in the pit of my stomach. "Darry . . ." I say slowly as we drive around the corner of our street too fast and end up drifting around the roundabout. "Why are they in hospital?"

"Well, I ain't too sure. The doctor was vague on the details-his alright though. Nothing wrong with him, his allowed out as soon as we get there," he tells me, looking both ways, not even bothering to stop as we speed through a stop sign.

"You said something about a fire . . .?"

"Oh right. Well from what I understood, Ponyboy and Johnny had been hiding out in an old abandon church in Windrixville for the past five days. Anyway, Somehow Dally got there earlier today and took the boys out for lunch. Apparently when they got back to the church it was on fire and a heap of little kids were trapped inside and Ponyboy and Johnny had ran inside the burning church and pulled em out, with Dally waiting outside for them. Ponyboy managed to get out safely, only fainting because Dally had punched him in the back cause' he was on fire, but the church had started to fall down and knocked Johnny on the back. Dally had ran in and the church had fallen on him too. Dally should be okay, his conscious just with a badly burnt arm. Johnny, on the other hand, they ain't sure how he will be. They think he may have a broken back and is servery burnt." Darry's voice is tight and he stares straight ahead, but I can tell his worried to death about lil' Johnny.

The thought of quite, sweet Johnny might die, tear's me apart. Johnny has it hard at home. His dad is always yelling and beating him up and his mom is slob who is always telling him how useless he is. Johnny is one of my best buddy's, I need him a much as I need Two-Bit or Dal. Johnny and Ponyboy are best friends, and if Johnny dies, I'm not sure how Pony will react. I try not to think about Johnny for now.

"Dally?"

"Yeah, he was there I don't know why, I guess we will find out as soon as we see Ponyboy."

Dally must have gone and seen Pony and Johnny as soon as we left him, Windrixville was a good couple of hours away by vehicle. My heart thumps faster and faster as we get closer to the hospital. I have a nervous feeling in my gut and I can hardly sit still. I just want to hug my kid brother.

Ponyboy had just turned fourteen a month ago, and even still we looked at him as the baby of the family. Darry is cool calm and collected like always. No emotion for him, but behind those cold hard eyes I can tell his relived that Pony is back. I wonder briefly if I will cry when I see Pony again, then stop because we pull into the hospital parking lot.

I jump out the truck before it has even fully stopped moving and run into the hospital with Darry yelling at me to slow down. I slow down to a fast walk and find the nearest Doctor I can, and grab him.

"Ponyboy Curtis, where is he?!" I ask him quickly.

"His in the waiting room. Wait here for a moment."

That annoys me. "Like hell I'm waiting here," I say to him in a biting voice.

"Look kid, if you don't I'm going to have to ask security to remove you. I will just be one moment," he says with a quick smile and walks off.

I stand there jumping up and down on the spot. Darry has reached me by then. The doctor has returned.

"His fine, take the third door to the right and then the first to the left," he mutters, but I hardly hear him, I'm off running around the corner.

I briefly hear Darry and the doctor telling me to slow down but I ignore them. I burst through the door of the waiting room and look around for Ponyboy.

For a second, I don't see him. Panic rushes through my mind. What if they got the wrong kid? What if Ponyboy's not here and they made a mistake? But then I see a young boy covered in ash and soot sitting next to some big guy, and I realise its him.

A flood of emotions rush through me, and I almost drop to the floor sobbing with relief.  
He was already standing up, and I have him in a huge bear hug, swinging him of the floor and around. I feel tears running down my face. As I hold him relief washes through me. I feel like mom and dad have their arms around us, the warmth and security spreading through me. His tuff, long dark hair has been cut off and is now bleached blonde. His dirty with smoke and ash all over him.  
I set him back down on the floor. Ponyboy's grinning so bigly and looks so happy that he could have bawled. I push his hair back.

"Oh, Ponyboy, your hair . . . your tuff, tuff hair . . . " I mentally slap myself at that been the first thing that I can think of to say.

Just then Darry walks in, leaning in the doorway. Pony let go of me and was simply looking at him with mixed emotions on his face, and I remember how he thought that Darry hated him and how they had that huge fight the night he ran off. Darry looked down and turned away silently. __

Come on! I think to myself. _One of you hug the other! You know how much you love each other!_ For a second there, I thought that Darry and Ponyboy weren't even going to acknowledge each other, and strange feeling of anger and despair starts to run through my system. Just as I was about to shove the two of them into each other's arm, Pony snaps out of whatever daze he was is.

"Darry!" Pony yelped and ran towards him squeezing him around the waist in a hug. "Darry, I'm sorry . .. " he sobs.

Darry hugs him back and strokes his hair. Darry is crying too. "Oh, Pony, I thought we'd lost you like we did Mom and Dad . . ." he said through tears.

That was what Darry'ss biggest fear was. Losing me or Ponyboy. I walked towards them and hugged them, putting my head against Ponyboy. Darry and Ponyboy put their arms around me as well, holding each other together.

* * *

**I really do hope you liked this chapter. It's a bit boring, but I really needed to get this done so there ya have it haha! Oh, and the part about Kate's horse, it's based on my own boy, except his an Arab, not Quarter horse :) And what I remember when I visited Montana is that there's a lot of ranches, and a lot of big ones, but I'm still not real sure if it's realistic for Kate's to be that big, so let me know!**  
**Please review as it lets me know if you enjoy what I'm writing and how I can improve it, and I do love hearing from you people!**  
**That's all for now, ta ta my lovelies!  
-Fee xx**


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